Still Dating
by shockandlock
Summary: Modern!AU Marco and Ace really want to make this relationship work, but who says love doesn't come with a few bumps and cracks along the way? A series of oneshots depicting the events after "Still Need a Date?" Surprise Visit- Ace wants to surprise Marco by visiting him at work, but things take a turn. For the worse? Possibly.
1. Second First Date

**A/N: Okay! First oneshot. These will probably be published all together in a collection. Any smut will be uploaded separately. Man, the part near the end (not the bonus) was really nice to write, so I hope you guys think it's cute.**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

**Second First Date**

Marco stared at his self in the mirror, satisfied with his appearance. He had dressed up in another suit, perfect for a dinner date. He left the jacket unbuttoned, exposing the end of his new tie: once again light blue, but this time displaying his family's mark on its end. This was his second chance with Ace and he wasn't going to waste it.

Suddenly, the door of his room burst open. "Yo, Marco!" Thatch yelled as he entered the blond's room. Seeing his brother's cleaned up form, he grinned. "Goin' somewhere, bro?"

"None of your business, Thatch," he sighed, gathering his things in pockets. "Now leave."

"What? C'mon, tell me! You look all fancy-fancy! Wait, don't tell me..." The brunet pushed his face in close. "You have a date!"

Considering his state of dress, Marco was not surprised that his (slow) brother figured it out. He rolled his eyes. He left his room, brunet following.

"What was that kid's name again? Trace?"

"His name is _Ace_, yoi!" the blond snapped slightly. "Gah!" He covered his mouth, but it was too late.

"Oh, right... He was _that _guy. Wasn't he? You never introduced me!" Thatch laughed. "Oh well. Use protection."

"Oi. Unlike you, I don't think about my dick 24/7. This is only our second date."

"Yeah, yeah. There are some condoms in the drawer if you need any."

With an intense glare at his brother, the blond opened the front door and stepped outside. "Leaving now." But just when he was about to close the door behind him, he felt something hit the back of his head. Slowly he turned and looked on the ground where it landed. It was a condom. Ignoring its presence, he slammed the door shut (admittedly harder than he would have if _that_ wasn't thrown at him).

Climbing in his car, he buckled his seatbelt. "Okay," he said to himself. "I have to get _those_ first, then I'll pick up Ace." He turned the key to start the engine and drove off, hopes high for the rest of the evening.

* * *

"Did you really have to pick out my clothes?" Ace whined as Sabo adjusted his white tie. "We're only going to the Baratie."

"Yeah, but you're going on a date," the blond huffed. "I know the restaurant belongs to Sanji's family, but you're trying to impress _Marco._ Aren't you? You're _not_ leaving this house in a t-shirt and shorts."

"I guess you have a point," the raven haired sighed, staring at his reflection in the mirror. "Hey, I look pretty good!"

"Yeah. No thanks to yourself." Sabo headed towards the door. "I'm going to start on dinner for Lu and me. You can wait up here. I don't want you eating any of the ingredients."

"Yeah, yeah." And with that, the middle brother headed downstairs to the kitchen.

Ace bounced on his bed in anticipation. _'Man, I wonder when Marco's going to get here. We can finally have a normal date!_' He smiled happily. _'Not that the prom was too bad. It sucks that I got drunk though. Marco was really nice about it.' _The teen blushed suddenly, remembering the events of the night. _'I wonder if he's going to use_ that _line again. The waiting is killing me!'_ he screamed internally.

But just when Ace was about to shoot the model a text (they had exchanged numbers after the prom night fiasco), he heard the loud ring of the doorbell. "That's him! That's Marco!"

* * *

Marco stood in front of Ace's door, waiting anxiously after ringing the doorbell. _'I hope he likes these,'_ he thought, shifting the bouquet of roses in behind his back. _'He doesn't seem like a flower kind of guy, but once he sees the colors...'_

The door opened suddenly, stopping his thoughts. "You're here to pick up Ace. Right?" Marco recognized him as Sabo, the middle brother of Ace's family.

"Is he ready, yoi?" the model asked, smiling politely.

Sabo nodded. "Yeah. He's waiting upstairs, but he'll probably be down-"

"I'm here! I'm here!" an unmistakable voice called. Marco directed his attention to the stairs inside where he saw Ace rushing down. "Hi, Marco!" the teen smiled.

Marco felt his cheeks flush slightly. The raven-haired cleaned up very well. His white tie stood out from the black dress short he wore, sleeves rolled up to his elbows. "You look _very _nice," Marco greeted charmingly.

Ace blushed back at him. "Th-Thanks. You look nice too!" he stammered. "Should we go now?"

"Wait a second, yoi," the model said, moving the flowers from behind his back. "These are for you."

The boy's eyes widened when he saw the bouquet. It was made up of warm colored roses. The reds, oranges, and yellows combined to look like a flame. "Wow! I'm not much for flowers, but this looks really cool! How did you know?" He took the flowers gratefully.

Marco smiled. "You had fire patterns on your phone and wallet."

Ace turned to his brother. "Hey, Sabo. Can you put these in the some water?"

"Sure," he replied, rolling his eyes and taking the bouquet. He shoved Ace out the door with his free hand. "Have fun, you two!" he chimed, shutting the door behind them.

Marco took his hand. "Let's have a good date, yoi."

Ace nodded enthusiastically. "Yeah!"

* * *

"Are you sure? I can pay for myself." Before Marco had even opened his menu, Ace had insisted on splitting the bill.

The two were now sitting in a private room at the Baratie, waiting for their server. The room was well furnished. The tablecloth was perfectly white atop the table in the center. The wood of the chairs were carved more beautifully than those in the normal room.

"I'm paying, yoi. It's common courtesy since _I _was the one who asked you here." He smiled at his date. "If Garp being your grandfather says anything, then I'd bet you have a big appetite."

It was embarrassing that Marco already knew his eating habits, he thanked the man nonetheless. "You're right about that," he laughed sheepishly.

The door to the room opened suddenly, sending a tiny spark of shock through Ace. He had never used one of the private rooms before, so he wasn't used to the waiter entering without warning. His shock soon vanished when he saw the waiter. "Oh. Hey, Sanji," he greeted. "Not working in the kitchen tonight?"

Marco recognized the man's haircut and ..._unique_ eyebrow from the night of prom. If he remembered correctly, this was one of Luffy's friends. _'He helped us out. Didn't he?'_

"No," he sighed. "I was tweaking with a recipe a few days ago, and now the geezer won't let me back in the kitchen."

"That sucks."

"Well it doesn't suck if I don't have to keep up with your stupid appetite." He turned to Marco. "I assume you're paying?"

"Oi!"

"I mean he runs away pretty much every time so..."

"Sanji!"

Marco raised an eyebrow at him. "You eat and run?"

Ace didn't have to answer, for the blush on his face screamed 'yes'.

The laugh that came out of Marco's mouth made Ace's heart beat.

Sanji ended up having to get them an extra table for Ace's food. The two of them both requested water as their drink. Marco ordered the steak and Ace ordered at least one of every entrée. "Sorry you have to pay for so much," he apologized after Sanji left with their order.

"No. It's fine. This gives us more time to talk."

Ace nodded. "I guess it does."

"So, you dine and dash a lot?" the blond asked.

Ace gave another sheepish laugh. "It became a bad habit since we did it more as kids. It just never really went away. But Luffy's friends with Sanji, so that pretty much saves our asses."

This confused Marco slightly. "Why would it?"

"You didn't know? Sanji is the owner's son."

Marco must have looked genuinely surprised since Ace started laughing. "I didn't know Zeff had a son."

"You know the old guy?" Ace questioned. "Adopted too, by the way," he added.

"Same way I know Garp," the blond replied. "Pops."

"You never really told me about that. How _did_ you meet my gramps?"

He had to think for a second before finally answering. "He comes over for drinks sometimes. Apparently, they like to talk about the 'old days.'"

"And the eating thing?"

"All of the rice crackers and donuts: gone."

"I figured as much," Ace sighed.

The two ended up talking the entire time while waiting for their order. They listened intently on what the other had to say, thankful for the privacy of the room. There would be no interruptions, unlike the night of Ace's prom. Words flowed freely from their mouths, listing hobbies and favorites. Each took mental note of what the other had to say, smiling when they spoke.

Quite a while later, the door opened once again, Sanji wheeling in a cart of food. "Hey, guys," he said, piling plates atop the extra table.

"You're not gonna poison me. Are ya?" Ace joked as Marco's food was set in front of him.

"Nah," the young cook replied. "We're actually getting paid this time, so..."

"Gee, thanks." He noticed Marco trying to hold in another laugh and he gave the man a playful glare.

"Whatever, man. Enjoy your meal!"

Marco had already cut into his steak, when he noticed Ace just sitting there, eyeing his stack of plates. He set down his fork and knife. "Something wrong?" the blond asked.

"Er- It's just that..." the younger stammered. "Uh- Maybe I'm not as hungry as I thought! So-"

He was abruptly cut off by his growling stomach.

Marco smiled reassuringly. "Go ahead and eat, Ace. You don't have to be embarrassed."

At this, the boy's eyes shined. "Thanks, Marco!" he cheered. "All my past dates never really liked it when I ate in front of them."

"Well, I'm not your past dates. I don't mind."

It was a bit strange seeing Ace inhale all the food he had. He couldn't judge though. Marco's family had their own strange table mannerisms. He was just glad that his date was so happy.

When they were finished, Ace leaned back in his chair, satisfied. "That was good. Thanks again, Marco!" he grinned as the blond signed off on the bill.

"You can still move. Right?" Marco chuckled. He stood offering his hand to Ace. "We have to go."

"Huh?" The teen's eyes briefly flashed with disappointment. "Oh yeah. Though he knew he didn't need help standing, he took his date's hand anyways.

Saying goodbye to Sanji, who was still busy waiting tables, the two left the restaurant. "I liked that," Ace chimed, trying to break the silence in the car as Marco pulled away from the Baratie. "We've never used the private rooms before, but it's really fun scaring the other customers while we eat."

Marco hummed slightly, trying to concentrate on driving. This left Ace panicked. _'Maybe he didn't enjoy himself?_' He was so consumed in his thoughts, that it took him a while to realize that- "This isn't the way to my house!"

"Sorry," the man apologized, unable to hold back a smile. "I know this looks bad, but I wanted to show you something, yoi."

"Eh? But that means-"

"Yeah. Our date isn't over yet."

Ace felt like cheering. He was curious as to what the man wanted to show him, but right now, it was enough just being near him. "Should I close my eyes to surprise myself?"

"If you'd like," Marco laughed.

He didn't open them until he felt the engine turn off. The first thing he noticed was that it was dark out. The second thing he noticed was that Marco had already opened his car door, once again offering a hand.

The last thing he noticed was the beauty surrounding him. The fragrant smell of flowers wafted all around. He could see all the stars, shining up above. It was absolutely breathtaking. "Wow, Marco! This is... I just..."

Ace was busy grinning up at the stars and taking in the air, but Marco was distracted. He just couldn't take his eyes off of him. "You like it?"

"Like it? I love it!" Ace exclaimed.

"I knew you would," the blond smiled. "After what you told me at prom, I knew I needed to show you this. _This_ is freedom, Ace."

"Really? So this is what _true_ freedom feels like..." He stopped. "But there's something missing..."

"What?!" Something missing? _'What did I forget?_' the blond panicked.

Without warning, he was tackled to the ground, back hitting the soft grass. "Hey!"

"Gotcha, Marco!" Ace laughed, tangling himself in his date's arms. "Watch the stars with me!"

"Alright, alright!" He adjusted his grip around the teen, staring up at the magnificent night sky. It was so nice, so peaceful. He didn't even care that his clothes would get dirty. Having Ace's warmth pressed against him was just too amazing. "Hey, Ace," he whispered suddenly. "May I kiss you?"

The boy didn't respond. Thinking that his date was too shocked to answer, Marco turned to look only to find Ace in a state of peaceful rest. He chuckled. "You have to stop doing this. I might just fall in love with you." He pulled himself off of Ace and lifted him off the ground. "I'll bring you home."

* * *

Bonus:

"How was your date, son?"

"It was great, Pops. We're going to the park tomorrow as well."

"It's nice to see you so happy. He's Garp's grandson, so I bet you won't have the easiest time. Gurarara!"

"I have to try. Don't I? I think this could really work."

"Well, if that's what you want. Oh, and by the way, son. Why was there a condom on the front steps?"

"..."

* * *

**So I hope you guys enjoyed that!**

**Please review and remember to vote on the poll for next week! I won't be able to edit the oneshots properly if I don't know which one you guys want. Thank you!**


	2. Kiss Me

**A/N: So this would've been up earlier if I was not behind on editing, but school started back up, so I have less time for this stuff. Good thing I have a long weekend. okay and one quick thing, these are not in chronological order.**

**Enjoy! **

* * *

**Kiss Me**

He held the piece of paper and twirled it between his fingers. It was strange that Ace would hand him something so nice and elegant looking. He knew what it was right away, considering the time of year, but he felt it would be polite to ask.

"What's this, yoi?"

His boyfriend bounced on his heels and grinned at him. "Guess! Guess!" he cheered. "Wait no. I'll tell you!" He snatched the envelope out of Marco's hands and opened it up. "It's an invitation to my graduation!" He stopped and giggled. "That rhymed!"

Marco loved that his boyfriend was so excited. With summer right around the corner, the two would have much more time to spend together. Only there was one problem.

"So you're coming. Right?"

He didn't want to upset Ace, but someone had to break the news to him. "Ace," he started, taking the teen's hands in his own, "I'm really happy for you, yoi." And he truly was. Even though he had known Ace for a minuscule fraction of his high school career, he was happy to see the teen reach such a milestone. Unfortunately, his happiness was overshadowed by his true feelings.

Ace frowned. He had immediately sensed something wrong. He expected his lover to say yes immediately. "Marco? You're not hiding something from me. Are you?"

The blond sighed. They had only been together a few months, but Ace easily saw right through him. "I'm sorry, Ace."

"What are you talking about?" This didn't sound good.

He stared into Ace's eyes, seeing the worry held in them. "I'm going to tell this to you straight," he said. "I can't go to your graduation."

Ace's eyes widened in shock. "What?!" he exclaimed. "Why not?"

"I have a big shoot that day for summer clothing," Marco explained, hoping that Ace would understand. "My hands are tied. We have to get the spread ready for the start of summer."

"But, Marco-" the teen began to whine. He wanted nothing more than for Marco to be there smiling proudly as he walked across the stage.

"No, Ace." the blond responded with a firm tone. "You know work is important to me."

"Then your work is more important to you than _I_ am?!" Ace burst out angrily. He stopped, realizing how rude and selfish he sounded. "Sorry," he muttered. "That was out of line."

Marco didn't know what to say. He knew that Ace would get upset, but he didn't realize that the boy would be angry at him. "It's fine," he reassured, though he could see that the anger in the teen's eyes had not completely vanished.

"No," the teen continued. "I need to be alone." With that, he grabbed his things and stormed out, leaving the invitation behind.

"Geez," Marco groaned. "What am I going to do with you, yoi?"

* * *

Marco held a hand up to the side of his head. He just couldn't concentrate properly on the shoot. Ace hadn't responded to any of his texts or calls over the past week, and it was bothering him to no end. The boy sure was stubborn.

Hanging a towel around his neck, he sighed. The models were currently on break, but the blond couldn't find the heart to continue working. He hadn't even changed his clothes yet, still wearing the gray button-up. Marco didn't understand how someone he had been dating for only about two months could make him feel this way.

Suddenly, someone knocked on his door. "Come in," he answered.

"Hey, Birdy Boy!" the man greeted.

"What are you doing here, Thatch?"

"Geez. Can't a man visit his own brother at work?" he laughed, running his hands over his pompadour. "So how ya doin'?"

"I'm fine, yoi."

Thatch frowned. "Obviously not."

Marco groaned. His brother was not helping his headache. "Why are you really here?" he asked.

The brunet grinned. "Oh right. I knew my favorite brother-"

The model snorted.

"- was feeling stressed, so I decided to come and surprise you!" He jumped onto the couch in the back. "So, what's bugging you?"

Even though he was annoyed at his brother, he might as well get it off his chest. The brunet was stubborn and would definitely not leave until Marco talked to him. "Ace is... upset," he started.

"Oh yeah," Thatch said. "His graduation is today. Right?"

"How did you know that?"

"Probably 'cause you left the invitation was left on the table," he shrugged. "So why are you _here_ instead of _there_?"

Turning and glaring at him, Marco growled, "Why do you think? I don't have the time!"

"Geez. Talk about your ruffled feathers," the younger muttered. "You know what _I _think?" he asked, speaking audibly this time. "I think that's exactly what your problem is."

The blond stopped his silent fuming and raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean by that?" Thatch wasn't exactly the type to notice these things, so Marco was intrigued to say the least.

His brother gave him a confused look. "You really don't get it? And you call _me_ an idiot. Here." He jumped up from the couch and stretched his arms above his head. "Lemme do you a solid." The mischievous grin he gave as he left the room made Marco's stomach sink.

Cue loud crashes in the distance followed by pissed-off yelling and cursing.

_'What did that idiot even do?'__  
_  
"Oopsie," Thatch sang, poking his head back into the room. "Looks like it'll take a few hours to get _all _of that set back up. Guess you might as well take care of that _thing_ that's bothering you." He winked and vanished soon afterwards, presumably running from security.

"You're a such dumbass," he sighed knowing that Thatch couldn't hear him, "but thank you." Immediately placing his destination in mind, Marco threw on a pair of sunglasses and left as quickly as he could.

* * *

Ace fidgeted in his seat nervously. He hadn't told either Sabo or Luffy about his situation, but Sabo probably figured it out anyways. Ace honestly tried to convince his self that it was no big deal, but he was still heartbroken over the matter. He hated that he got mad at Marco, and now he doubted that the blond even wanted to see him after he had insulted his values. They had only been dating for about two months, so why did he expect the man to drop work for him? He was a celebrity, for god's sake!

It's not like there was anything he could do about it now. He hadn't answered any of the man's texts or calls since that day.

His row was called and his heart pounded erratically. It wasn't that he was nervous about graduating (which he _was_), but rather that he would prefer if Marco were here for him. This wasn't like him at all! He would probably be jumping for joy at the thought of graduating if it wasn't for _that_. He really wished Marco were here. He got up from the cold metal of the collapsible seat, but he couldn't feel his legs as his row proceeded next to the stage.

Ace stood, waiting at the edge of the stage. All that was left was to accept his diploma and be done with it. There was no use waiting for Marco to show up. He barely heard his name being called, but he heard the expected cheer from where Luffy was sitting.

And when he turned to look, he wasn't expecting what he saw. Luffy was there with his friends (the ones who weren't also graduating), but there was Marco right next to him, smiling and waving. The more he stared, the more he realized that the room seemed empty. In that moment, he only saw Marco.

His heart soared. The sight was unbelievable. Marco was supposed to be at his shoot, yet here was Ace wanted to cry tears of joy, but instead he put on the biggest grin he could muster and walked across the stage.

* * *

Surprisingly, Marco had arrived just in time to see Ace. All the parking spaces were full, so he had to sprint the rest of the way. Once at the entrance of the school, he snuck in easily, despite his pathetic excuse for a disguise. He made his way to where he knew the teen would see him: next to Luffy. Marco was not one to cheer, so he knew that Ace would look over once he heard his brother.

And when he did look over, everything became clear. Thatch hadn't been straightforward with him, but the idiot was right.

Ace looked straight at him and gave the one of the biggest smiles Marco had ever seen. The teen was practically shining; burning bright like a flame. His surroundings faded around him. In that moment, he only saw Ace. "So that's it," he whispered to himself as the teen walked across the stage. "There's my answer."

* * *

"Marco!" Ace called happily, bouncing forward to embrace the man. He buried his face in his chest and inhaled his scent. He could clearly smell the cologne Marco wore during photo shoots, indicating that the man had come from work. "I'm so happy that you're here! I can't believe it!"

"I can't believe it either, yoi," Marco smiled. "I'm so proud of you, Ace."

"What happened to your shoot? I know that you're work is important and all, but you really didn't have to come if you were busy. I mean we've only been dating for two months and all, so-"

Suddenly, the blond pulled away. "Ace..."

"Marco?" Ace's eyes immediately filled with worry. "Did I say something wrong?"

Seeing the teen's worry, Marco reached up and caressed his cheek. "Kiss me."

Ace's cheeks flushed a vibrant red immediately after hearing the command. "W-what?!" he stammered. It's not like they hadn't kissed before, but the demand was just overwhelming. Before he could say anything else, Marco had leaned forward and captured his lips.

It was absolutely amazing. Ace couldn't help but kiss back. The kiss just seemed so right. There was no intimacy or tongue, but neither of them cared. They melted in each other's arms, everything around them fading away.

Marco ran out of breath first, pulling away to see a still blushing Ace. "What's this all about, Marco?" he asked, panting a bit from the kiss.

The model smiled warmly. "The only people I have ever dropped work for are my family. And then you came along, yoi." He pulled Ace close once again. "I just couldn't stop thinking about you."

"Oh. Me?" The raven haired rubbed the back his head sheepishly. "I'm not really sure what that means."

"It means that I love you."

Ace's heart almost stopped. "C-come again?" He couldn't believe what he just heard. But we've only been together for a few months!"

"I'm not certain about everything yet, but I love you. I just feel that I belong with you, yoi." Marco relaxed his grip around the teen. "I understand if I'm moving too fast. I can give you some space if-"

"No!" Ace exclaimed, staring straight into Marco's eyes. "It's fine because I love you too!"

Marco's eyes lit up.

"I realized it when I saw you waving to me." His gaze softened. "Everything disappeared around me and I felt so warm... It just felt so right."

"I guess we're the same in that way, yoi," Marco chuckled. "That's exactly what happened to me."

Hearing this, Ace started laughing. "Maybe I'm rubbing off on you then!"

The blond pulled away and messed with the boy's hair. "In your dreams, brat," he teased. He pulled his phone out of his pocket to check the time and smiled. "I still have a few hours before I have to head back, so I'll go with you guys to lunch."

"That's great, Marco!" Ace cheered as he took the man's hand and led him towards his friends.

"Neh, Marco?"

"Yes, Ace?"

"I'm glad we fell in love together."

"Me too, yoi."

* * *

Bonus:  
  
"As much as I hate to say it, I owe you for earlier."

"See, Birdy Boy? I knew a little break would do you some good!"

"However..."

"I don't like the sound of that."

"You realize you have to pay for what you broke at the studio. Right?"

"Shit."

* * *

**Please review and leave any suggestions/ideas!**

**Again, poll up, please vote. btw, after next week's i might start offering the smut.**


	3. Stories

**A/N: Are you guys ready for some angst (I guess)? Sorry for all the ****ellipses. I mean, I don't even remember where this one came from. I was just trying to come up with a story for the tattoo (even thought it's never explicitly stated in the story), and then _drama._ But there's kind of some shitty transitioning.**

**Enjoy! **

* * *

"So _this_ is what you looked like when you were younger."

"Uh-huh. Look there! Lu and Sabo too!"

"You don't look much different, yoi. Neither does Luffy."

"Hey! Are you trying to say that I look like a kid?"

"Well, I'm trying to say that you're still cute."

"Neh, Marco. I'm handsome. Handsome and sexy!"

"Just keep telling yourself that."

"Meanie."

Ace leaned his head on Marco's shoulder as the man traced his fingers over old photographs. They were relaxing on the couch in Ace's house, looking through the families' albums. The teen recalled the memories from them in his mind, eagerly (or unenthusiastically) explaining each one.

"And who are they?" the model asked, pointing to a group photo. He could clearly see the three smiling brothers, but there were also a bunch of strangely dressed men in it and one burly... woman?

The teen smiled fondly. "That's Dadan with her mountain bandits!"

"Mountain bandits?" Marco was sure that he misheard.

"They raised us!"

He felt his eye twitch. _'I knew Garp was crazy, but that's just too much to believe!'_

"She's a real big bitch on the outside," the teen started, "but on the inside she's a huge softie!"

"Is that so?" Marco commented. _'That's quite a way to talk about the woman who raised you,'_ he thought offhandedly. "That means you didn't always live in this city, yoi."

"Yep," Ace replied with a pop. "We moved here a little after I turned twelve. We were homeschooled before then. By Makino."

"Makino?"

He reached over and pointed at a lady in another picture. She had green hair and was wearing a bright yellow bandanna on her head. "That's her. She ran a small bar in the village. She taught us our manners and stuff too."

"I see those lessons went to waste."

Ace stuck his tongue out at him childishly.

"I rest my case, yoi," Marco chuckled, flipping the page."Why are you guys all bandaged up in this one?"

In the photograph, the three brothers were standing next to Garp, who was smiling rather proudly. They, on the other hand, looked quite dizzy and bruised.

"Oh that," Ace's bright expression deflated. "That's us after one of Gramps's 'training sessions'," he grumbled, raising his hands to make air quotes.

"Care to elaborate on these 'training sessions?'"

"Whenever the shitty geezer would come and visit, he'd throw us around and beat us up so we could become strong. It was brutal."

"That's certainly one way to raise a child."

"Well, it was a bunch of bullcrap if you ask me. The three of us were fine training by hunting in the woods and stuff."

"What about these ones?" Marco pointed to a series of photographs that depicted the boys with some sake cups. In a few of the pictures he could see a thumb peeking out from the edge. "Aren't those sake cups?"

Ace's grin grew. "That's the day the Sabo, Lu, and I became brothers! We stole the camera just to take those pictures."

"Really?" he asked, raising an eyebrow. "So it wasn't official adoption. You just drank to it. How old were you again? And _you_ stole the camera? No wonder there's a thumb in there."

"Marco!" Ace whined. "You could at least say _good_ things about my pictures!"

"I bet I could guess a few other things you stole. you shouldn't drink underage."

Ace pouted, trying to get Marco to stop. "It tasted like shit anyways."

But the blond continued to tease his lover. "Irresponsible," he smirked, kissing him on the cheek.

Ace let out a sigh. "Whatever." He stood and stretched his arms above his head. "I'm going to get a drink. Want anything?"

"I'll have some water. Remember that you're not of age yet, so don't bring back any alcohol for yourself."

"Maybe I should just poison you instead."

"Just kidding, yoi!" he called as Ace exited to the kitchen.

Marco smiled to himself. He just couldn't resist teasing Ace. He rarely ever took it seriously and it usually resulted in cute pouts and whining. The disastrous date months ago was only the beginning of their relationship, but from there, things got better. Now, Marco truly loved Ace. He couldn't imagine life without him.

He continued to run his fingers across the pictures, smiling lovingly at Ace's image. But then he saw it: something unsettling.

In the picture Ace still looked very young. He held a smile on his face, but with careful observation, it was clear that the smile did not reach his eyes, which were empty and cold. The picture was labeled: "Out of the Hospital".

And he could see scars on Ace's forearms.

He continued to stare at the picture, wide-eyed. The sight filled him with unbelievable pain.

"Marco, I'm back!" Ace chimed with a smile as he entered the room. He stopped when he saw what Marco was looking at. The smile vanished from his face immediately.

"What the hell is this?" the blond breathed almost inaudibly. He still couldn't believe the image. His Ace, his _cheerful _Ace, was like _this_.

The teen set the drinks down on the table. Marco could see that his hands were shaking. "It's nothing, Marco," he whispered. "Just leave it." He reached over to try and turn the page, but Marco held it away from him.

"Tell me, Ace."

The teen didn't respond, choosing to hide his eyes. His hands were visibly clenching and unclenching at his sides. Marco opened his mouth to continue, but without warning, Ace jumped at him and knocked him flat. His back hit the floor and the air left his lungs. As he regained his breath, he saw that Ace kept him pinned down, furiously glaring. "I told you to leave it!"

Marco now understood that the brutal training sessions with his grandfather Ace talked about were not an exaggeration. Ace had lashed out at him before, but he had never gone so far as to attack him. Marco couldn't give up now though. He could read Ace easily, and judging by his continuous shaking, he saw that the boy was very much in pain.

Seeing his lover's distress, he managed to sit up, throw the album aside and take Ace in his arms. When the teen felt his lover's warm embrace around him, his infuriated facade finally broke and he let himself himself sob into his chest.

"Shhh, Ace. It's alright. I'm sorry. You don't have to tell me."

After a while, Ace began to calm down. He pulled away, wiping his eyes and sniffling. "I-it's okay," he stammered. "I d-don't want to h-hide things from you. Because I l-love you."

Marco smiled, leading Ace back to the couch and holding him as he spoke.

"When we were younger and living with the bandits," Ace started once he had calmed down, "Lu, Sabo, and I fought around a lot. It attracted a lot of attention to us." He stopped to look at Marco, who was listening intently. He nodded at Ace to continue.

"Some guys found out about us, and they attacked the bandit base where we lived." His voice shrunk. "The base was wrecked and some of the bandits died. Lu and Sabo were hurt real badly too.

"I blamed myself. It was…" He trailed off. "All of it was my fault. So... a few days later," he took a deep breath, "I tried to k-kill myself." His voice cracked, as if he were about to break again.

Though he was shocked, Marco held Ace closer by drawing his arms around him more tightly. "Go on, yoi. I'm here for you."

"I... I slit my wrists with my hunting knife, and there was- oh god- there was _so much_ blood!" Tears were streaming from his eyes once again. Marco kept his embrace tight and started stroking Ace's hair, attempting to comfort him with soft words. A terrible pain also coursed through his own heart, but what mattered now was what Ace was feeling.

Still sniffling, Ace continued. "I w-would've died if Sabo hadn't found me. When I woke up, I was... I was in a hospital bed." He paused, letting Marco's warmth calm him so he could continue. "Luffy was crying and Sabo was yelling at me to get up. The old hag and the shitty geezer were there too. I didn't know that they could get so emotional.

"After that I realized that I would've left Lu and Sabo behind. We moved here I started to get better. I promised myself that. I owed it to them." He finished and the two sat in silence, but his anxiety stayed. What would Marco think of him now? He had been a depressed child, and Marco didn't need someone with such a weight. All of it had already come back to him, but the reason he attempted suicide in the first place was becoming more and more prominent. He couldn't bring himself to tell Marco the whole truth. All Ace could do was sit there and silently pray that he wouldn't turn his back and leave him.

"You almost weren't in my life," Marco said, breaking the silence. He buried his face in Ace's hair. "I don't want to think about that." He brought Ace's wrist to his lips and softly kissed it where the scars would have been years ago.

"M-Marco! What-"

"Don't ever blame yourself again! I don't want to lose you." the blond's voice quieted. "I need you." he whispered.

Ace tensed under him slightly and Marco knew that he had something wrong. He shook his head. "No… Marco, you don't understand." Despite the blond's comforting words, Ace was still hiding something. As a gesture of comfort, he caressed Ace's chin, leaning in and placing a chaste kiss upon his lips. Finally, Marco was able to comfort him fully and Ace relaxed in his arms.

"I'm sorry for prying, yoi," Marco started after they broke the kiss. "If anything still hurts, just tell me when you're ready, yoi. I love you, so you don't have to feel like that for the rest of your life."

The teen blushed. "No, I'm sorry for, you know, tackling you and all." He pouted. "But you don't have to be so mushy!" He pulled his wrist back, which was still being held gently by his older lover.

"You love it. Don't you?" Marco teased, pecking Ace on the nose.

Ace merely giggled in response. "Thank you, Marco."

"Just let me know if you're in pain because I promise we'll only make good memories from now on."

* * *

Bonus:

"Sabo, why are you looking in the window like that? Go inside already!"

"Er-Luffy, I think we should go back out."

"Eh? But why? I'm _so_ hungry!"

"Those two need a little 'private time.'"

"Oh. Okay! But you're buying me food!"

_'No! My wallet! I swear, if they fuck on the couch, I'm burning it.'_

* * *

**So I doubt that this was anything too bad, but I'd love to know what you guys think!**

**Please review! Should I even bother polling this week (btw, go vote) if I know you guys are all going to pick the one with the smut? I'll do it anyways. Reminder: If smut is picked next week it will go up separately from this in the M-rated stories.**


	4. Side Story: Recovery

**A/N: Okay. So this was actually supposed to go up about half a week ago. I was getting really tired from school, so I didn't have as much time to work on stuff. If you did not read last week's oneshot, then you can get to it through my profile. It was smut, so you don't have to read it if you're not into that kinda stuff. This one is actually a sort of prequel to "Stories" and it delves into Ace's time after he got out of the hospital. There's not really any MarcoAce in this one, so sorry about that.**

**Enjoy! **

* * *

"How long are you going to sit there feeling sorry for yourself?"

Ace looked away from Sabo's stern gaze. He would've walked away, but he was stuck in this stark white hospital room. The cleanliness was ironically, sickening. He did not want to be in this place. He wanted to leave, he wanted to sleep, but every time he closed his eyes, he saw the vivid image of his blood running over his cut wrists, hunting knife lying on the floor. He had done it; therefore, he should have been dead.

Yet Sabo had burst in at the last second, discovering his bloody state and going to get help, saving him. Why? It was a good thing that they were able to get Luffy out of the room, though he was adamant to remain at his brother's side. Sabo had no right to scold him like a mother, even though Ace hadn't the energy to care.

"It's not like I'm going anywhere anytime soon," he replied emotionlessly.

Sabo merely scoffed at his childish response. "You know what I mean." To an outsider, the scene would've looked unusual: A blond _child_ reprimanding another child with empty eyes in a hospital bed. There was no need to yell at a patient, especially one who looked so emotionless, so apathetic. The blond was sure that he looked rather bratty for causing a scene in such a serious environment, but Ace's frustrating attitude was what mattered to him right now.

It took a while before the freckled child responded, tone unchanging. "It's none of your business."

"You say that after all we've been through? I'm your brother god damn it!"

A nurse passed by the room and scowled at his language. Sabo ignored her. He would curse if he liked. This was the most effective way to get the message across to a certain flame brain after all.

"And you still call me your brother after what happened? You shouldn't be brothers with someone like me. I… I shouldn't even exist."

Sabo growled. "Is that really the reason? Something as stupid as that?"

"Why not?" Ace countered quietly. "If I was not the son of _that man_, if I wasn't even born, then Luffy, you, and everyone else wouldn't have gotten hurt."

"It's not your fault," the blond sighed, unconsciously reaching for the bandages wrapped around his clothed torso. "And after seeing Luffy like that," he whispered, "you still want to die?"

"Why are you assuming things like that?"

"Because I know you and I see the empty look you have." He reached out and took Ace's hands gently, attempting to get his brother to look at him. "Look me in the eyes and tell me you aren't planning another suicide attempt as soon as you get out of here."

The two sat there in silence, Ace unresponsive. Eventually, he pulled his hands out of Sabo's surprisingly solid grip. He gave no answer, but that was enough. It was a silent confirmation of what Sabo feared most at the moment.

"Listen, Ace." He paused even though he knew that Ace was not listening. "You're going to get better. I promise you." He moved his empty hand to rest on Ace's bandaged arm. "I won't let you out of my sight until you get better. Lu and I, we're here for you. You know that. Right?"

Ace continued to stare out the window into a world that would have kept moving without him.

* * *

The house felt extremely empty when they moved in. The three of them had lived in their tree house and before that, the bandit's base. Both places had little to no furniture, but somehow moving into a house with couches and beds and tables just made things seem emptier.

'_It's all my fault,' _Ace told himself. _'It's my fault we had to move away.'_

Garp had moved them into a house in the city in hopes of finding ways of recovery for Ace. Even thought he hadn't been around much, he still cared about his grandsons. Almost losing one of them to suicide was enough to prompt him into this decision. In ways, it was risky. Ace knew this, but he didn't see much reason to care. If the government found out about him, then that would be the end of that. They would take him away, and then what? Did it even really matter?

There were enough rooms in the house for each of them, but Sabo insisted on all three of them sharing one. It's what they had been doing ever since they became brothers. Ace tried to tell them they would need space when in reality, he just wanted his privacy. Sabo didn't believe him, and taking up his job overseeing Ace, he moved their things into the second largest room (the master bedroom was where Garp slept whenever he was there). Luffy was happy with this arrangement. He hated being alone and loved having his brothers at his side. Ace was forced to accept defeat. Even in his current state, he did not have the heart to disappoint Luffy.

He collapsed on the couch in exhaustion, though he hadn't done much. He didn't know why he was so tired. He would've gone to his room, but he did not want to be around neither Luffy nor Sabo.

"Ace."

He did not even glace at Sabo as he came down the stairs.

"You look tired," Sabo said. He was trying to be gentle with Ace. He knew that Ace was still fragile even though the scars had healed. "Go to bed, Ace."

"I'll go to bed when I want."

He sighed. "I know that you're tired."

"Maybe _you_ should go to bed. You've been doing most of the work anyways."

Ace's stubbornness was getting to be frustrating. Sabo stormed over to the couch and growled. "Oi!"

"What do you want, _mom_?" Ace replied mockingly, personality having taken a turn. At this point he just wanted Sabo to leave him alone.

Suddenly, they heard someone bouncing down stairs. "Sabo! Ace!" Luffy called cheerfully. "Let's eat!" Then tension between the two older brothers broke as Ace sat up and they looked at their younger brother, who was smiling cheerfully.

"Alright, Lu," Sabo laughed. "I'll go heat up the leftovers." Patting the head covered with a straw hat, he shot Ace a look and headed into the kitchen.

Luffy bounded over to the couch. "Are you okay, Ace?" he asked, staring up at him with wide eyes.

"I'm fine, Lu," Ace said, smiling tiredly.

"Okay! C'mon, let's eat!" Ace allowed Luffy to grab his wrist and lead him into the kitchen. He could at least stay strong for Luffy. Right?

* * *

"I'm not obligated to tell you anything."

"Now, Ace. If you want to get better, then you'll have to open up to me."

Ace continued to glare at the psychologist, but the woman did not seem intimidated whatsoever. He hated being in this room, sitting in front of a stranger who expected him to spill out his life's story. It was none of her business. Garp was just wasting time and money by sending him here and paying for professional help, and the evaluation and medication had already cost enough (though, it wasn't as if he were poor).

Clinical depression.

It's not like he was very familiar with the term. There were no psychologists or psychiatrists in Foosha, but he had heard the words tossed around here and there. He never thought about having it, though it was obvious that there had been something wrong with him when he…

"Ace," a voice whispered, cutting off his train of thought. He looked over at Sabo, who had come into the session with him. Ace had insisted on going in alone, but Sabo had convinced the doctor to let him in. They would not get anywhere if he was not with Ace, he had stated. "You don't have to say everything," he continued, "but at least try. Okay?"

He made it sound so easy. He wasn't the one sitting in this chair. He wasn't the one who held the burden. He wasn't the one that wanted to die. He crossed his arms and continued his silent protest.

"I'm sorry about him, Dr. Nico," Sabo apologized. "You're probably not used to having patients our age."

Olvia shook her head, white hair shifting around her shoulders. "It's quite alright. My daughter has gone through her own struggles, so I _have_ dealt with children before.

"I'm not a child," Ace snapped, interrupting their conversation. He quickly shut his mouth, realizing that he had broken his own silence.

"Is there something you'd like to say, Ace?" Olvia asked with a gentle smile. "I'm here to listen, and as your brother said, you do not have to tell me everything. We still have fifteen minutes left, so we can start with the basics."

Ace nodded, albeit hesitantly.

"Now," she paused and pressed her pen to the clipboard. "You are very strong, Ace. Some people don't even survive to recover."

Sabo's hand twitched uncomfortably. The subject itself was inevitable, but he still did not want to think about it. If Luffy had been in here, he would've started crying. Good thing he was out in the lobby, scribbling in a coloring book.

Expert eyes spotting the tiny signs of his distress, Olvia turned to Sabo. "I want you to be strong through this too. He's lucky to have brothers that care about him. You are quite responsible for watching over him like this."

He felt a bit of pride swell in his chest at the doctor's remark.

"I hear that you will be starting up school soon," she said, flipping through some of her papers. "Though you will have schoolwork, I trust that you'll keep taking your medication. Please continue watching over him Sabo. He may become stressed, but I suspect that some social interaction may do him some good."

Sabo nodded, but Ace scoffed.

'_Social interaction will do me good? Yeah right.'_

* * *

Ace hated school. He _loathed _it. The teachers had been informed of his 'situation', so they coddled him like he was a child made of glass. He didn't need their special treatment. He thought about failing on purpose just to piss them off, but as Sabo pointed out, that would just get their attention even more. For once Ace listened to him. He tried to be a decent student, but he couldn't bring him to listen to any of his teachers' boring ramblings of algebraic equations or proper punctuation. Sabo was there to help him with his school work, but having to be helped by his younger brother was just plain embarrassing.

Many of the other kids were just as bad as the teachers. They either pointed and stared at him from afar while gossiping behind their hands, or they tried making friends with him using smiles that made him want to puke and cheerful words that made his ears feel like they were bleeding. He had almost hit one of them, but luckily, Sabo stepped in last second. Ace was now able put up with her (Koala was her name), but this was because Sabo had the most obvious crush on the girl (he rolled his eyes when Sabo denied it).

He was also rather tolerant of the psychologist's daughter, Robin. The girl respected his boundaries, and supposedly she understood what he was going through, though she did not attempt to pry. Occasionally, she kept him company, yet they never spoke, allowing themselves a somewhat comfortable silence. Ace suspected that she was watching him for her mother.

But he hadn't even expected to meet the strangest one of them all.

He had skipped gym that day. Even though he liked physical activity (it helped with his training), the class was rather boring since they had to follow the tedious instructions of a gym teacher. It was nothing like training in the forest, hunting for food, or just fighting for the heck of it. Instead of going, he snuck into the woods near the school, searching for something to do, something that would finally catch his interest.

It did not work. The woods were pretty empty. There were no giant bears or tigers to fight, which was a disappointment. He leaned against a tree and slid down to the soil underneath him, closing his eyes. It was actually quite relaxing to breathe in some nature after so long, but it was nothing like the air back home.

"Hey, kid. Whatcha doin' here?"

Ace's eyes snapped open and he found himself staring back into dark blue eyes. He almost screamed, but held himself back when the stranger smiled at him.

"Rough day?" they asked, sitting down next to him.

He scowled back. "Why would you care?"

They held up their hands defensively, brown hair swaying around their face. "Whoa. No need to get your feathers all ruffled!" They stopped and sighed. "I've been spending too much time with my brother. Hasn't anyone ever taught you to be polite to women?"

Ace raised an eyebrow and scoffed in disbelief. "You're a girl?" he asked skeptically.

"Oi!" she barked.

"Aren't you skipping school too?"

She shrugged and brushed off her light-green shirt. "Pissed off one of the teachers with a stink bomb. I'm hiding out for now."

"Stink bomb? I haven't heard about that."

"Oh right. You're probably in middle school. Aren't ya, kid?"

"I'm not a kid."

"Whatever you say. By the way," she held out a hand and grinned, "I'm Haruta."

"…Ace"

He didn't know it at the time, but he just got caught up with one of Grand Line High's most infamous pranksters, Haruta Newgate.

* * *

They were still able to train, albeit in the backyard of their house. Sabo had remarked that the grass was quite soft, so it would break their falls when one of them knocked the other over. Garp had allowed them to bring their pipes on the condition that they did not leave the house. Ace was thankful for that, though It wasn't as if he were actively training. He still did not have the heart to. He refused to fight Luffy (he wouldn't let himself lose to him), but he occasionally fought Sabo.

And he lost.

Sabo already won half the time, so why not let him win all of them? He couldn't find the strength to fight back anyways. Sabo held back though, concerned for his older brother. Ace only blocked and dodged, and when he did hit back, it was weak, hardly anything to be worried about. With his poor posture and weak swing, Ace lost round after round, not bothering to tend to any wounds afterwards. This worried Luffy a lot, so Ace let him bandage up the more severe ones- not that he did the best job.

Sabo hated seeing him like this. Not only was it pathetic, but it was also an insult to Sabo's own abilities. He realized that it was a selfish thought, but if Ace had been in the right mind, Sabo wouldn't be beating him in all these fluke matches. If he was going to test his true abilities, Ace would have to be at full strength. This brooding was just getting in the way. Even though he had to be tolerant of Ace, he just wanted his brother to pull his head out of his ass.

"Why are you losing so much, Ace?" Luffy asked one day. Ace froze at these words. Luffy was oblivious, so he thought that he did not notice. "It's no fun if Sabo wins all the time!" Apparently, he could be observant when it mattered. Well, of course he would notice. He was the one keeping tally, and when all one hundred of those tallies were under "S", the facts were quite obvious. Ace resisted the urge to curse.

"Yeah, Ace," Sabo chimed. Ace could hear the smugness in his voice. "Why are you letting me win so much?"

He scowled. "Does it really matter?"

"Why are you being like this, Ace?" Sabo interrogated, now frustrated with his brother. He knew that he was supposed to be gentle with Ace in his time of need, but damn it, he couldn't take this anymore! His stubbornness, his sulking, it was all just too much.

Luffy stared up at the two with concern. They usually took care never to argue in front of him, but there was no helping it now. "Ace, Sabo-"

"This is your chance to let everything out, and what? You're holding back? What happened to you? I'm trying to help you!"

"…I can't," Ace muttered, Sabo straining to hear to barely audible words.

"What was that?"

"I just can't!"

"Damn it, Ace!" Sabo growled. "You're not making any sense!"

"You think I can fight you at full strength?" Ace cried, throwing his pipe down. "What would happen then? Huh?"

"There's _nothing _holding you back!"

At that his expression darkened. Why didn't Sabo understand? He's the one who has known the longest, so he of all people should know. "Are you kidding me? What I am, what I never chose to be, it's always going to keep me here. I'll never be free from that."

Sabo was silent, and for a minute Ace thought he had won. He had finally gotten his point across. All of this care and coddling would end and he could finally rest.

But then Sabo started whispering, just loud enough for Ace to hear. "…You're still whining over that?" Suddenly, Ace found himself on his back, staring up at the brother who had tackled him to the ground. A pipe pressed against his throat, and though he knew Sabo would never hurt him too hard, he was genuinely surprised at the blond's attitude change.

Sabo never got this angry. What was it now that pushed him to this? Rarely did the two brothers see that fire fill his eyes. He had finally snapped. Ace was only able to lie there as Luffy watched on, wanting to jump in, but too weak to help.

"You want to be free from your his name?" Sabo yelled. He dropped his pipe and grabbed Ace by his collar. "Then become free! Become freer than anyone!"

And Ace felt the change.

"Sabo! That wasn't fair!" Luffy interjected, heading over to try and stop them. "Sabo's not supposed to be the mean one!" He childishly stuck his tongue out at him. "I'm gonna steal all your meat at dinner now!" He ran inside, still shooting his brother mocking gestures as he left.

A silence enveloped the two brothers. Eventually Sabo stood, shooting Ace a look. The rage was no longer there, but now there was something else. "I just want my brother back." He followed Luffy inside, leaving Ace to dwell on the words.

'_Become… free?'_

* * *

"Hey, shitty gramps?"

"Still talking to your grandfather that way? Damn brat!"

"What is freedom?"

Garp froze, holding back his patented Fist of Love. It was a strange question when Ace asked it. Considering his former upbringing (the bandits basically let him do whatever) it was hard to understand why he would ask such a thing. "Well, I'd say you have plenty of that already," he shrugged, leaning back in his chair and picking his nose.

"What do you mean by that?" Ace was surprised that he had even responded. He'd expected another rant about how he should get back to his old self so he could continue his training (though Ace was sure that the man just wanted to give his Fist of Love without holding back).

"You and your brothers were always running around and doing whatever you wanted."

'_Whatever I wanted?'_

"Maybe you had too much freedom. No wonder they were always pissed about you guys. Bwahaha!" Garp stopped to laugh, thinking back on the misery of the bandits. "I guess they still liked you guys, even though you were off doing your own thing." He stopped, turning and raising an eyebrow. "What's with all the questions? Are you finally thinking about joining the Marines?"

"No."

* * *

"Dr. Nico?"

"Yes, Ace?"

"What is freedom?"

Olvia pushed up her glasses and smiled. "My, you're certainly talkative today. Usually _I _am the one initiating our conversations."

"Just answer the question. Please." This time Ace tried to remember his manners. He had gotten Sabo to stay out of his appointment for once, and though he did not care much for it, he knew he shouldn't antagonize the woman. She had been trying her best after all.

"Well, Ace. Freedom is exemption from external control, interference, or regulation."

"You got that from a dictionary didn't you," Ace commented dryly.

Olvia smiled. "Very good, Ace."

"Is that it?"

Smile never leaving her face, she replied, "Freedom cannot always be explained. I'm afraid you'll have to find your own definition if you truly wish to understand."

'_Find my own?'_

"Now." She paused to push up her glasses. "How was your week?

* * *

"Haruta?"

"Yeah, Acey?"

"Don't call me that."

"Whatevs."

"What is freedom?"

Haruta raised an eyebrow. "That's a weird question." Suddenly, she stopped and started laughing.

"What's so funny?" Ace scowled.

"Y-you sound like my b-brother!" she stammered between giggles. "Maybe I should introduce you guys sometime! He could use some company, ya know~"

"O-oi! Just answer the question!"

She stared at him amusedly, placing a hand on her chin in thought. "Well, I guess freedom is letting go of all of your worries." She leaned against the tree and looked towards the sky as if she was reminiscing. "When you leave it all behind, you know what it's like to truly be happy."

'_Leave it all behind?'_

"Ya know, I think I might have a song to sing about this!"

"Please don't."

* * *

"Is it really that easy?" Ace asked himself one night as Sabo and Luffy slept.

He was here moping, while the people he loved slept on peacefully. They had their own troubles, so why were _his_ still bothering him. Haruta was always getting in trouble, but that never stopped her. Gramps had to take care of them, but, though he was pretty crazy, he took care of them as if they were his own. Sabo hated his family, but he left them behind. They all made it look so easy.

"I'm worrying about them. Aren't I?"

The question dissipated into the silence of the bedroom. Sighing, he turned over and closed his eyes.

"Gol D. Ace?" he whispered. "No…"

What could he do to let go? All of the people who cared for him, all the people who supported him... _The people willing to give their lives for him._ He could change for them right now. He knew he could.

"Portgas. Portgas D. Ace."

* * *

"Let's have a match."

Sabo stared at him, almost expressionless. "Finally ready for a _real _fight?"

"Just grab your pipe."

"Are we training again?" Luffy asked, bounding down the stairs.

"C'mon, Lu. You're keeping score." Ace slammed open the back door, leading Luffy by the hand. He readied himself by stretching his arms and legs, staring back at Sabo, who twirled his pipe in his hands. Luffy sat under the tree ready to write down the score.

"You ready, Ace?"

"The real question is: are _you_ ready?"

"3…"

"2…"

"1!"

They rushed at each other, feet flying off of the ground. Their pipes impacted with a loud 'clang!' and Sabo grunted, grip shaky. Ace's force had taken him off guard. In all their matches before it had been relatively easy to disarm him. "Fighting back, I see," he said, trying to contain a grin.

Giving no response, Ace pulled away, aiming another swing at Sabo's feet. The blond jumped backwards over the pipe to dodge, landing on his feet solidly. With a cry, he swung downwards, but Ace quickly blocked. "You better fight with all you've got," Ace whispered, just loud enough for Sabo to hear. Suddenly, he looked up and tone changing, yelled, "Because don't think for a second that I've given up!" He leapt backwards and charged again.

"Then show me!" Sabo retaliated by jabbing towards Ace's stomach. He dodged sideways, quickly moving behind Sabo. The blond spun and blocked, reeling from the force of the hit. "Don't hold back!"

"I won't!"

The round seemed to go on for hours, Ace's true feelings being conveyed through every strike. Sabo did not hold back either, blocking and dodging the hits directed at him. Slowly, grins started to grow on their faces. _'This is it,' _he thought, adrenaline rushing through his veins. _'This is my freedom.'_

_Clang!_

'_I can finally let go.'_

_Bang!_

'_This is why I can live.'_

_Crash!_

_'For Sabo and Luffy, for everyone else... I can live!'_

_Clang!_

_'I'll leave it all behind and become the freest! Starting now!'_

He adjusted his feet under him, preparing himself for one more swing. "Hey, Sabo!" he called. "Thanks!"

Sabo stopped, confused. "For what?"

Without warning, Ace jumped at him and swung. Before he knew it he was knocked on his back, Ace pressing a pipe to his chest. "I found it," Ace panted. "I found my freedom."

For a moment, there was an almost sacred silence held between them, until finally Sabo's grin broke out on his face again. He almost laughed. He almost cried. Ace was finally, _finally_ back. He had beaten his chains, his weight, and now there he was smiling above him,_ victorious._ When he looked off to the side, he could see Luffy smiling too, happy for his brothers. There was so much Sabo wanted to say, but the first thing that came out of his mouth was an overjoyed, "Welcome back, Ace!"

* * *

Bonus

"Say, Marco... Are you lonely?"

"What would ever give you that idea? No, I'm not lonely."

"Really?"

"Why are you looking at me like that, yoi?"

"Well... I have a friend-"

"Forget it, Haruta. The last time one of you tried to set me up with someone, you brought me to a zoo to look at ostriches."

"I didn't say you had to date him (he's not old enough for you anyways. At least, not yet)."

"What was that?"

"Oh, nothing! I'm just saying that you might thank me later!"

"No."

"Wait, Marco! Just listen to me for a sec!"

* * *

**Please review! Thanks to StarPurpleandBlue for the inspiration!**

**So technically, you guys weren't supposed to get an update this week. I was taking a break, but I really wanted to get this one out. I'm skipping next week, so the next update will be on October 5th, Marco's birthday! No poll this week because I'm publishing a birthday special.**


	5. October 5th

**A/N: Okay, so first of all, sorry if this is bad. I've been writing a lot for school lately, so I really don't feel as if this was planned out too well. This was really just based on one particular scene and I had to write a lead-in, so the beginning part felt pretty bad to me. But anyways, it's Marco's birthday! Yay for that! Perfect time for a oneshot. Also, I've had less time for editing, so there might be some more mistakes. My schedule's been pretty busy for these past few weeks.**

**Also, thank you to everyone who reviewed! I never found time to actually make responses, so sorry about that.**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

Marco scoffed in annoyance. He had just gotten back from the bathroom when he heard Ace talking on his phone cheerfully. Currently, he was hiding behind a corner, trying to get some information, but no such luck. He and whoever he was speaking to were only making small talk. If Ace kept doing this, then surely this must have been important. Marco heard another laugh from around the corner and he scowled.

Ace had been acting strange lately. He kept making secretive phone calls and texts, and he took every opportunity to lie about them. He'd pretend that he wasn't even on the phone or that he had been texting his brothers, but he was a terrible liar. He was never on his phone too often, preferring to talk to those around him. So why was he doing this?

Marco did not like it at all.

Honestly, He did not want to deal with any secrets at the moment, considering he had other things to worry about.

His birthday.

It was no secret that Marco Phoenix's birthday was October 5th, and of course this spelled trouble for him. This meant an influx of fan mail and media coverage, which Marco hated. The press always expected him to host a gigantic "birthday bash" (he cringed just thinking of the phrase), but, though the situation was purely hypothetical, he didn't see why they'd think they were invited if he did have one such... bash. He's prefer to spend it as a quiet day with Ace (not that the boy was quiet in any way). If his family planned anything, then there was nothing he could really do about it. Thankfully, the paparazzi were smart enough to stay off Whitebeard's property without permission.

Unfortunately this did not take his mind off the matter at hand.

"Okay. See you soon," Ace said, hanging up the phone. Marco snapped to attention. Who would Ace be seeing soon? After waiting for a few seconds, he rounded the corner back into the living room.

"Hey, Marco," Ace smiled. "You okay? You took awhile."

"I'm fine, Ace," he replied, forcing his own smile through his paranoia. He reclaimed his spot on the couch and leaned over to kiss Ace on the cheek. "Don't worry about me," he continued, pulling the freckled teen into his arms.

"It's suck if you got sick on your birthday though," Ace pointed out. "Speaking of your birthday, have you got any plans yet?"

There it was. Marco didn't want to rope Ace into sorting fan mail or running from press, but both of them wanted to spend the day together. He just wasn't sure of what to tell him.

"Depends," he started. "You know my family. They'll probably plan something, though I'd rather spend the day with you."

"Well, aren't you sweet?"

"Am I?"

"You know, it wouldn't be so bad to be with your family," Ace said. "I wouldn't mind if we had a party or something."

"That might be the case," Marco sighed.

"What's wrong?" Ace asked, concerned at his lover's discontent.

"My birthday always gets attention, yoi. If the media caught wind of a party, then there's no doubt that they'd try to go."

Ace nodded in understanding. He had quickly learned that Marco held a strong dislike for the paparazzi, who often twisted facts to get a good headline.

"And furthermore," the blond continued, "I can't go out in public without being mobbed, so really, I'd just prefer a smaller celebration."

"You get mobbed _on your birthday_?" Ace asked curiously.

"Only by the fans if I go out in public."

Ace felt a pang of jealousy course through him (though he didn't know Marco was in a similar situation). Of course the girls would be all over him. It's not like he had forgotten Marco's position. It's just that he tried not to think about it. "But you only need me. Right?" He tried sounding as cheerful as possible.

"Of course," Marco replied, pulling him in tighter. "Stay with me then. Okay?"

For a second, Ace thought he felt Marco tense up. _'The stress must be getting to him,' _he told himself. 'After he sees my present though, he'll be all better!' He decided to leave the issue as he snuggled closer to Marco.

_'I could ask the same of you, Ace.'__  
_

* * *

There was a used cup sitting on the table. This didn't help Marco's paranoia one bit considering he saw an unfamiliar car pull out of Ace's driveway before he had gotten there. Recalling the Ace's excessive phone activity as well only made him more suspicious.

"Is something wrong, Marco?" Ace asked as he approached him from behind. "You're ready to go, right?"

He turned and saw Ace looking at him with concern. He felt his troubles wane. If Ace was worried about him, then there was no way that... Marco cut off his thought. _That_ was something he did not want to think about. Ever.

"I'm ready, yoi," he answered, making Ace smile. "You're hungry. Right?"

"Yep! Next time, don't get here so late," Ace teased.

Marco chuckled. "I should have expected you to be impatient. So what do you want to eat?"

"I'm thinking pizza."

"Alright then, let's go."

As expected, Ace was practically inhaling the several pizzas they had ordered. And of course he favored the ones that had meat. Marco was satisfied with a few slices of plain cheese, but he decided to eat slowly. He knew he should pace himself since Ace would eat a lot.

Ace had just started another slice when they heard it: the distinct ringing of Ace's phone.

Swallowing his food, he smiled sheepishly. "Sorry, Marco," he said after checking his phone. "I need to take this." With a small smile, he stood and walked away, presumably for privacy.

Marco felt slightly disappointed that Ace took the phone call. He knew that he should respect Ace's privacy, but his worry combined with his curiosity was just too much. He quietly followed behind Ace, once again hiding behind a corner.

"So you delivered it?" Ace said. "Thanks a lot! You did a really great job, Vivi."

Marco frowned. He now knew the stranger's name, but he still had no context to the conversation and it bothered him.

"You're amazing. Would you like a thank you kiss?"

_'What?!'_ Marco wanted to round the corner and snatch the phone out of Ace's hands, but he would risk possibly making the other angry. Not that he wasn't feeling at least a bit angry himself at the thought of Ace kissing this woman. _'There's no way Ace is actually cheating on me,'_ he reassured himself. _'Not before my birthday.'__  
_  
"Just kidding!" He heard Ace laugh and he sighed in relief. Deciding that he had heard enough, he quickly returned to his seat. What he heard neither confirmed nor denied his fears, but now he held more information. Maybe he could clear this up with Ace.

"I'm back!" Ace called cheerfully when he returned. "Miss me?"

"I bet you missed you food even more," Marco commented, not realizing he sounded stiff.

Ace frowned. "You've been acting a little weird lately, Marco. You sure you'll be okay for tomorrow?"

"I'll be okay."

"Maybe you don't want to be with your family?" Marco's siblings had indeed planned a party. Thankfully, it was just the family and a few close family friends.

Marco smiled, hoping it did not look forced. "I'll be fine as long as you're there."

"You really know when to turn on the charm. Don't you?"

* * *

Marco paced around his room anxiously. He hoped that his brothers wouldn't embarrass him. He didn't need any more of that. He really needed to calm down. Ace and his friends would be here soon.

Suddenly, Izo entered his room. "What are you doing in here?" He asked raising a perfectly maintained eyebrow.

"I could ask you the same question."

He rolled his eyes. "Just go downstairs. Don't you want to answer the door for Ace?"

"Yeah, but-"

"Hush, you. Just come downstairs." Refusing to listen to any further protest, Izo seized his hand and dragged him out of his room.

"Now wait here and answer the door." He hurried away, leaving Marco in a state of confusion.

_'What's up with him?' _he wondered. The bell rang with almost convenient timing, indicating Ace's arrival. He took a deep breath to prepare himself for the oncoming storm of guests. Waiting a few seconds, he gripped the handles and thrust the double doors open.

"Hi, Marco!" the group greeted. Smiling back at him were the Strawhats, Sabo, Koala, and Ace. But there was someone else...

Ace leapt forward into his arms. "Happy birthday, Marco!"

He smiled. "Hey, Ace. Thanks for coming guys."

"This place is really cool!" Luffy exclaimed. The rest of them continued their excited chatter as they entered the mansion.

"What a SUPA place!" Franky yelled, striking his signature pose. No doubt he would want to take notes for his own.

"Captain Usopp owns a castle ten times this size!"

"Wow, Usopp!"

"Say, you wouldn't happen to have any valuables lying around here. Would you?" Nami asked, eyes shining with beri signs.

"Witch can't even stop stealing on a birthday."

"Don't talk about my Nami-swan like that!"

"Nami-"

"Don't even think about it, Brook."

Robin merely giggled at her friends' banter. She paused as she walked by him. "By the way, Marco. I would like to talk about you schedule for next week sometime soon. Is that alright with you?"

"That will be fine," he replied absentmindedly, staring at the stranger. "And you are?"

"Oh, sorry!" The girl brushed her light-blue hair out of her face. "I haven't introduced myself."

"This is Vivi, Marco!" Ace interrupted enthusiastically. "She's our friend!"

"Really?" So this was Vivi. The girl that Ace had been calling recently. She seemed nice enough, so Marco held out a hand for her to shake. "I'm Marco Phoenix."

"I know," she smiled. "Vivi Nefertari."

_'Isn't Nefertari the name of Alabasta's leader?'_

"I'm actually a fan of yours!" she chirped with a smile. "When Ace told me what happened, I was pretty surprised, but you make him happy, so that's great."

"Oi, Vivi!" Luffy called. "C'mon!"

"Geez! Can you bear to wait a little!" She sighed. "Well, it was nice meeting you! Maybe you can give me an autograph later?" With a small wave, Vivi followed her friends into the house.

"Vivi transferred here from Alabasta for awhile. She became real good friends with Luffy when she was here," Ace explained, seeing slight confusion on Marco's face. "She was in town, so we invited her. I hope you don't mind."

He really didn't. Vivi seemed like a nice girl, and more importantly she did not seem to hold a romantic relationship with Ace like he had suspected. "I don't mind," he answered. "You guys will fit right in."

Ace suddenly moved his lips towards Marco's ear. "I'll give you your present later. Neh~?" he whispered, making Marco's heart race.

_'Just what is he planning?'_

* * *

The rest of the night went relatively smoothly, though Marco still remained suspicious of Ace's behavior. The Strawhats got along with his family pretty well. After all, the groups were both very eccentric. The night consisted of mostly talking, eating, and drinking (non-alcoholic). It was actually quite nice, well, considering that his siblings continued to make fools of themselves. Thatch, for example, would end up hitting on the girls before they promptly rejected him. Marco found this hilarious, though it would look bad if he laughed.

Quite a few games of poker were played as well. Marco was a master with an excellent poker face. Ace was just a bit too expressive. At the end of the last game it came down to just Marco and Nami, and _boy_ did he not want to lose when he saw that look in her eyes. Thankfully, the game was stopped for cake, to which the group moved into the dining room.

They had baked several different types of cakes. All the siblings had different tastes and they were sure the guests would as well. No one complained. Ace and Luffy ate a lot anyways. Everyone sang the classic birthday song (though Marco could have sworn that some of those who were singing were drunk) before Marco blew out the candles on one cake (just a plain vanilla). Everyone immediately rushed to their favorite cake to get a slice (or two). They wouldn't have to worry about leftovers. The family was big and their guests would probably end up taking some home either.

When the night was finally coming to a close, Ace approached him once again and once again his curiosity was piqued. "Come with me, Marco," he said, taking his hand. Ace began to drag Marco away, but the older male saw no reason to protest. No one had seemed to notice their absence, caught up in their own interactions. "I wanna show you something," Ace smiled as he pulled him up the stairs.

"What are you doing, Ace?" Marco finally asked when they reached his room. Ace had started to rummage through his closet, making him raise an eyebrow.

"Shh!" Ace exclaimed, pulling out a large, flat object wrapped in blue paper.

_'When did that get in there?'_ Marco wondered.

"Happy birthday, Marco!" Ace cheered, handing it to him.

Marco took it carefully. Still wondering how Ace hid it in there, he laid it out on his bed, Ace looking at him expectingly.

"Open it!"

He chuckled, seeing his lover's eagerness. Complying to Ace's wishes, he grabbed the corner of the wrapping paper and tore his present open.

He gasped when he saw it. There wasn't much one could expect from a wrapped rectangle, but Marco definitely hadn't been expecting this.

A painting.

It was beautiful. A phoenix painted with beautiful light blues and complimented with a bright yellow was the subject, the paint somehow making it glow. The majestic bird soared high above, illuminating the ocean that surrounded the hilly island below. The island itself was lit up with tiny dots, indicating signs of civilization. He could see a small village that appeared to be having a festival. The phoenix looked as if it were about to swoop down upon the land, to grace the people of the island with its presence.

But what really made the painting for Marco was his family's crest, burning bright across the firebird's plumed chest.

"Do you like it, Marco?" Ace asked, almost bouncing in anticipation for Marco's answer.

"Like it? Ace, I love it, yoi! How did you get this?" This gift was so extremely personalized that no doubt Ace had worked hard to obtain it.

"Well, I asked Vivi to paint it. I payed her though! It would be rude if I asked her to do something like this without any compensation. She's saving up her own money for college."

"Is this why you've been making so many calls recently?"

Ace nodded. "Vivi wanted me to let her know what I wanted in the painting. She let me see it yesterday, and I asked her to bring it here so Izo could hide it."

'_No wonder he was acting weirdly,' _thought Marco, Izo shoving him out earlier in mind.

"She did a really great job. Don't ya think?"

Marco smiled. "I'll have to thank her sometime." Suddenly, he realized something and laughed

"Hey! What's so funny?"

"I thought that you might have been cheating on me! Looks like I was worried for nothing!"

"Stupid, Marco!" Ace pouted. "I would never cheat on you!"

"I know, I know. Because you love me. Right?"

"Stop teasing me."

Marco took Ace in his arms and kissed him on the nose. "Sorry, yoi." He stopped and looked at the painting once again. "She really _did_ do a fantastic job. She takes commissions, you said?" The mansion had plenty of extra wall space, and she was pretty talented.

"Yep! Although," Ace said, "she told me that love is a beautiful subject and that she'd like to paint us together sometime. Free of charge." He paused to snicker. "I think she just wants to use you as a reference."

"Well, it's an interesting offer. I might have to take her up on that." Marco carefully moved the painting to the couch, vowing to find it a good space on the wall. "Thank you, Ace. This is possibly the greatest gift I have ever-" He stopped, Ace pressing his lips over his own. Somehow, Ace had removed his own shirt when Marco was distracted. He looked extremely inviting to the older man, and him leading Marco's hands down to his hips did not help Marco's forming erection. Ace coaxed his mouth open with his tongue and Marco allowed the younger to ravish his mouth, fighting back for dominance and easily winning.

Ace pulled away, a string of saliva still connecting their mouths. "Don't think you present is complete, birthday boy~" he whispered seductively.

Marco moved his hands and gripped Ace's ass tight, breaking Ace's teasing personality for a mere second. "Alright. I'm game."

(To be continued)

* * *

Bonus:

"What was that about a 'thank-you kiss?'"

"You heard that? Marco!"

"Sorry, yoi. I guess I was just worried."

"Alright. Ah, I guess since she was my friend I was teasing her."

"Teasing her?"

"Vivi used to have a crush on me when we first met. She was pretty accepting when she found out I was gay."

"Didn't she also say she was a fan of mine?"

"I think she might have liked you at one point."

"It must've been a shock, yoi."

"I don't think she thought much of it. She has a boyfriend. She was actually really happy for me."

"Sweet girl."

"She's pretty much part of the family. You'll learn to love her."

"I'm sure."

* * *

**That bonus wasn't really there to be funny. I guess it was just a little extra information. I might write a side story about when everyone met Vivi later, but really she was just a side character here. I guess I can imagine her as a painter? Also Part 2 will be uploaded with the last M-rated oneshot (there wasn't supposed to be smut in the first place, but then...). There might be another bonus for this (separate), but that might take awhile.**

**POLLS are back up. Please vote! **

**Reviews and suggestions are very much appreciated!**


	6. The Manager

**A/N: Okay, so I'd really like it if more of you guys voted on the polls. I'm not trying to sound forceful. It just helps me know what you guys want to see. Since I usually have one or two oneshots written ahead of time, so it helps me to know what I should edit ahead of time. And about the chapter, I can't write Ivankov very well. Sorry.**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

"Marco, you really need to get a girlfriend."

These words were nothing new. Whenever his manager would talk to him, the conversation would always start out this way. Frankly, it was getting old. He didn't need a girlfriend. He had Ace, and Ace was one of the best things that ever happened to him. They had agreed to keep their relationship private for both of their sakes, but this only made his manager's pestering even worse.

"It would be great for publicity."

Of course, he didn't know about Marco having a _boyfriend_ as opposed to having a girlfriend. He would go mad. Not that Marco would care very much.

But if he didn't care, why hadn't he fired the man yet?

Marco wanted to admit that he did not have a reason to, but honestly, the man was in actuality, one of the best in the business. Not to mention that Marco did not have enough free time to search for a new manager at the moment.

"Having a girlfriend won't affect my publicity," Marco replied, trying to hide his annoyance. He straightened the sleeves of the jacket he was wearing and leaned towards the mirror to examine the light layer of foundation the makeup artists had applied. "Let's the fangirls dream, yoi." It was the excuse he used almost every time.

Unfortunately, the other man would never hear it. The manager frowned. "That's not the right attitude to have." He glanced at the papers on his clipboard. "Oh I checked the event schedule, by the way. I moved that interview from tonight to Saturday."

Now this was something important. "You moved it?"

"You should be thanking me. Since it's a TV spot, Saturday would have better viewership. Besides, you're busy tonight anyways."

Marco raised an eyebrow. "No, I'm not, yoi. At least I shouldn't be." If he moved the interview, then he should have had free time. That would've been fine with him, for he was planning to spend time with Ace after the interview anyways. Ace was going on a short trip for Friday, so he wanted use his free time to help him prepare. His manager didn't even know about Ace's existence, so why did he even think that Marco was busy?

"I know," his manager replied. He pushed up his glasses. "That's because you have a dinner date."

"What?!" He spun around to stare at his manager with disbelief. Marco had always refused the offers before, and he expected the man to respect his decisions. Surprisingly, he had never actually set him up with anyone before. Marco could forgive him for that, but the current situation was just infuriating. "What the hell? I never asked you to do anything like that!"

He merely waved it off. "Relax. It's not like it's gonna hurt you. I hear she's a smart girl, though I hear she's a little dangerous though. Again, it'll be good for the image."

"How many times have I told you that that wasn't important to me? Besides, I _was_ busy, yoi. I just saw no reason to tell you."

"Oh. You mean that friend of yours? Ace, was it?"

Marco tried not to show his shock. He was good at decently good at hiding things from others, and he hadn't given away a single detail about Ace. His feelings of security from earlier meant nothing now. "How do you..."

"He called earlier. Wanted to tell you something about leaving early. And according to your schedule, you have no other prior arrangements."

Marco wanted to yell, but there was really nothing he could do. _'How am I going explain this one to Ace?'_

His manager smiled smugly.

_'Yep. Definitely getting a new manager.'_

So that evening, he pulled on a suit begrudgingly, not bothering to clean up too much. His manager drove him to the restaurant, claiming, "You would drive to the next town over if I let you go on your own." It was silly in Marco's opinion. He was being treated like a child.

The restaurant was quite high class, but Marco didn't care to remember its name. He stepped out of the car, grumbling to his self the entire time. The lights both outside and inside shined sickeningly bright. Maybe it was just contrasting with his mood. The scent of freshly poured wine wafted through the dining room and the laughter and gossip of some older men and women echoed around.

"Mr. Phoenix?" a waiter asked. "I'll show you to your table. Your date has already has already arrived."

Marco frowned as the waiter led him uncomfortably close to the center of the room. The table was in an ideal location to be seen, and the presence of poorly disguised paparazzi did not help the situation.

He immediately knew which table was his. It was surprisingly flashy for such a small table. The dark wood shined and gold accents swirled along the ornate carvings. Of course his manager would reserve the most eye-catching table in the entire restaurant. A girl wearing a simple knee-length, black dress sat there alone. Her back was turned and she held a menu up to her face. Her posture and long, dark hair seemed familiar, but he brushed it off as nothing.

Pulling out his chair to sit hesitantly, he hoped that he could let this girl down gently. He couldn't tell her that women didn't interest him and Ace was the only one he wanted, but there was probably something he could do.

But before he could say anything, the girl began speaking.

"Mr. Phoenix," she started, lowering the menu just enough for Marco to see her face.

Marco's eyes widened in shock. He knew her. He definitely knew her. "You!" If he had taken a drink of the water already set down for him, he surely would have spit it out by now.

"I am here for a different reason than you manager may think. You see, Mr. Phoenix, I have a proposition for you."

* * *

When Ace climbed out of his brother's car and stretched his arms above his head, it was already starting to get dark out. The three brothers had just gotten back from a trip to their hometown, and they were absolutely exhausted. Ace considered going to sleep, but he really wanted to see Marco. They were supposed to meet up before he left on Wednesday, but he ended up having to leave early. Makino called, and she had caught a bit of a cold. Sabo wanted to head up to help her, so that's what they did.

Wanting to be awake to see Marco, he decided to walk down to the store for an energy drink. Neglecting to help carry any of their bags inside the house (Sabo may or may not have yelled at him to "get his ass back here"), he jogged off. The walk was never long. Their neighborhood was a pretty short distance from the grocery store. At his pace, he could get there in about fifteen minutes. He didn't bother to breathe in the fresh air, though it was a nice change of pace from the cramped car. Foosha and the Mountains had plenty of fresh air: fresh air that was of richer quality than the "fresh air" of the city.

The cool air-conditioning of the store was a relief. It was still pretty hot out and Ace was already pretty thirsty in the first place. Slowing his pace, he bounced over to the windowed fridge where the store kept drinks for "on the go". He kept a smile on his face as he went to pay, but it vanished as soon as he saw it.

The covers of the magazines on the rack near the register read: "Marco Phoenix's Mystery Woman?"

_'What the hell is this?!'_ he screamed internally. Part of him wanted to rip open the magazine and read what could possibly be proof that Marco was cheating, repeat, _cheating_ on him. The other part of him wanted nothing to do with the article. _'It's just a lie,'_ he told himself. But that did not stop the panic settled in his heart.

Someone snorted behind him. "You lookin' at those?" The cashier asked. "Most of it's total bs."

Ace felt a wave of relief wash over him. "Really?"

"Well, _most_ of it," the guy shrugged. "There were pictures of that guy's date on Wednesday. It's weird. Nobody got a good picture of the girl, but I bet she's a total bombshell!"

The teen felt his drink slip out of his hand. _'Nononono!'_ He began hastily rummaging around in his pockets for his phone. Panic increasing when he couldn't find it, he mentally slapped himself. He had left it at home. There was no reason to bring it to Foosha since there was no reception, but he should have taken it with him before he left for the store! Immediately forgetting the thing he came for in the first place, he sprinted out. The walk home was fifteen minutes, but he could make it in five.

"Wasn't he gonna buy somethin'?"

* * *

_'Marco had a date? _A date?_ That's the night I left too.'_ Ace thought as he ran. _'He wouldn't lie to me like that! But why? Why was he with a _woman_?'_ He didn't want to jump to conclusions, but he was just too conflicted. He felt a mix of anger and betrayal fueling him as his legs carried him home.

He slammed the door to his house open and heard a startled yelp from further inside. He must've scared Sabo from leaving and coming back so suddenly, but there was too much on his mind for him to think about that. He sprinted up the stairs to his bedroom and entered, frantically rushing over to open the bedside table drawer. His phone sat there almost innocently. He quickly snatched it up and held the button to turn it on. The damned thing couldn't turn on fast enough. He _needed_ to call Marco now. He needed to know.

Frantic, Ace rushed as quickly as he could to the call menu and pressed Marco's number. Holding it up to his ear, he bounced anxiously on his bed. The ringing did not help to calm his nerves one bit. When he heard the telltale click of the call being answered, he yelled out, "Marco! What the hell!"

Marco had been waiting to be called onto the set when he received Ace's call. He wasn't exactly sure how Ace would react, considering they had no way of contacting in each other when he was in Foosha, but now he would have to face it. He wanted- no *needed to talk to Ace about this. Unfortunately, he would have to go on soon. There was only one thing he could tell Ace at the moment.

"Marco! What the hell!" his lover yelled.

"Ace, calm down, yoi." He must have found out one way or another if he was yelling at him like this. Ace should have been back in town by now. He probably would've seen it on a magazine cover. Apparently the paparazzi thought it was a big deal and published the story immediately.

"How could I calm down? I just- there's no way!" Ace breathed in. "You're not cheating on me. Are you?"

Marco sighed, hoping Ace wouldn't hear. He should've known that Ace would jump to that conclusion. He wanted to reassure him, tell him that everything was okay, but...

"Marco, you're on in five!"

Hearing this, Ace questioned, "What was that?"

Nodding back to the technician, Marco whispered into the phone. "Ace. You trust me. Right?"

Ace was silent for awhile, but he finally answered, "...Yes."

"Then I need you to listen to me."

"Okay."

"Go downstairs and turn the channel to Ivankov's talk show. Can you do that for me?"

"Uh-huh."

Marco smiled. Hopefully everything would turn out okay. Ace was in for a surprise. "I'll see you later then."

"Marco, what's going on?"

"I promise that this will explain everything."

"If you say so. But I can't help worrying about it..."

"Then let me calm you down." He almost smirked. He shouldn't have been acting so teasing when his lover was in distress, but he just couldn't help his self. "I love you." And with that hung up.

"Are you ready Mr. Phoenix?"

He nodded to his companion, and hearing his name being called, he walked in people cheering and applauding his entrance.

"Ladies and gentleman, please velcome Marco Phoenix!"

* * *

"I love you."

Ace's heart was still pounding in his chest when his lover hung up. Complying to Marco's request, Ace had ran into the living room and snatched the remote out of Sabo's hand.

"Oi!" the blond barked. "What gives?"

He didn't respond. Instead he switched the channel over just in time to hear Ivankov's enthusiastic shout. _"Ladies and gentleman, please velcome Marco Phoenix!"_

"Ehhhhhh?!" He had wondered why Marco had asked him to watch television. He was a celebrity, so Ace should not have been surprised.

Sabo quirked an eyebrow at the screen. "Oh? No wonder you wanted to watch."

"Shhh!"

_"Ve're all _so_ excited to have you here!"_

Marco flashed his charming smile, making the crowd cheer. Ace himself melted at the smile as well. _"It's nice to be here," _he said.

After the cheer had died down, Ivankov turned to Marco. _"Now, Marco-boy. It's no secret that vyou're popular with the ladies."__  
_  
A laugh slipped from between the model's lips. _"I guess that's what they say, yoi!"_

Ace frowned. He knew that the statement was true, but that doesn't mean he was bothered by it. _'Marco's just keeping up appearances,' _he told himself.

_"Let's cut to the chase. Ve all know that vyou vere with someone vednesday night."_

Ace leaned off the couch at this.

_"Have vyou finally gotten a girlfriend?"_

Sabo had to pull Ace back, for he almost fell on the floor from leaning out to far.

_"Well, Iva." _Most of the talk show host's guests addressed him this way. _"There's a simple explanation for that."_

_"Oh _do_ tell."_

_"Why don't I just bring her out?"_

Another small spark of panic rushed through Ace. "What?"

_"Oh? I think that's fine with all of us! Right everyone?"__  
_  
The crowd roared once again.

_"Vell?"_ Iva called to someone off set. _"Send her in!"_

After the call, a girl strutted in. Her dark dress cut off at her thighs, but impossibly long boots made up for that. Black hair fell at her back, matching her choice of clothing. Both Ace and Sabo knew who this was immediately.

"Oh my god!"

Both she and Marco smiled at the camera as he said, _"Everyone this is Miss Nico Robin. She is my new manager, yoi."__  
_  
"WHAT?!"

* * *

The rest of the interview was a blur to Marco. Right after the announcement, the audience had exploded. Many of them were disappointed that he still didn't have a girlfriend, but some were also glad that he was "still available" in a sense. They didn't have to know about Ace just yet. His now ex-manager probably had the best reaction though. He merely stood off stage at Marco's implied declaration of "You're fired."

He was glad that Robin offered to become his manager. Of course, he wouldn't have hired her if she wasn't qualified for the job. Though she was still young, she was knowledgeable and responsible. And because she was aware with his relationship with Ace, he was sure that she would be able to help him manage his time wisely.

The story would no doubt be up on the news tomorrow, but that did not matter to Marco right now. What mattered was seeing Ace. After escaping the post-show press, he had driven Robin back to her apartment and headed straight to Ace's house. He hadn't called beforehand, for he wanted to surprise the younger.

He climbed out of his car and was about to head to the door when it burst open. Ace came barreling out, immediately rushing to Marco's side. "Marco!" he shouted. He reached out and embraced the man, burying his face in his chest. "I'm sorry for doubting you."

Marco chuckled. Ace was just too adorable. "It's normal to be jealous, Ace."

"I know," the teen sighed, "but you're famous and all, so I just can't help it." Tilting his head in confusion, he asked, "How _did_ Robin end up as your manager anyway? I mean, I've only been gone for a few days!"

"That's actually a pretty interesting story, yoi."

"Really? Tell me then!"

* * *

"I am here for a different reason than you manager may think. You see, Mr. Phoenix, I have a proposition for you," Robin said as she folded her menu and set it on the table.

**Wow! You must've been really shocked! Did ya spit out your water?**

**Are you going to let me tell the story or not?**

**If I must.**

"Okay. But, Robin- er- Miss Nico-"

"Robin is fine," she smiled. "We're friends. Are we not?"

"I guess," he admitted. Whenever she was around, they were able to hold a few decent conversations. "But why are you here?"

"You understand that Ace is important to us as a friend as well, I assume," she started, 'us' referring to the other Strawhats.

"Of course." Whenever he visited Ace, the rambunctious group came and went. Since they were close to Luffy, they were pretty much family to the three brothers.

"Well, Nami obtained some information about Marco Phoenix seeking a girlfriend, which I'm sure you know, is very untrue." Robin paused, giving him time to respond with a short nod. "We figured out that the source of this rumor was your manager and decided to act upon this issue."

"We?"

"I assure you that everyone else is indeed here."

Marco didn't find the statement very reassuring.

"So I offer you a solution."

The blond raised an eyebrow. "What are you saying?"

Knitting her fingers together and resting her chin atop them, she answered, "I am offering to become your manager."

Marco couldn't say that he wasn't surprised. Robin was responsible and intellectual: perfect qualities for the job. Yet a question still remained.

"Are you sure you're up to this?" he asked.

"As valedictorian of my graduated class, I've had to juggle many commitments before. This would be no challenge to me. I'd say I'm more than capable. Don't you think? Please remember, we are doing this for your and Ace's benefit."

The offer was perfect. Robin understood both his commitment to work and his relationship with Ace. He had been resolving to replace his manager anyway, so why not?

"I think you've got yourself a deal, yoi."

* * *

"I'll have to thank Robin later," Ace smiled. "For, you know, not making a move." He jabbed a finger into Marco's chest playfully.

"Don't worry about that," the blond  
whispered into Ace's ear. "I only need you."

Ace immediately blushed. "Oi! You're so cheesy!" he exclaimed. They stood in each other's embrace for awhile until Ace finally asked, "Well, what now?"

Marco smirked at him. "I think I'll stay the night, yoi." He leaned down to nibble the shell of Ace's ear teasingly. Upon contact, younger squeaked, encouraging Marco's advances. "Is that fine with you?"

"Y-yeah," Ace stuttered, pulling away to lead Marco inside. He coughed awkwardly, suddenly remembering how exhausted he was. Thought of Marco had filled his mind earlier, giving him energy he no longer possessed. "But, erm, just sleeping tonight. I'm really tired."

The model smiled in acceptance. "I'm just happy to be with you, Ace. But," he paused, "I can't guarantee that something won't happen in the morning~"

"Pervert."

* * *

Bonus:

"Good morning~"

"Well, aren't we handsy today?"

"Well, I missed you, and you just look _so_ good in bed like this, yoi."

"Mmmnn... Marco..."

"You're already hard, Ace."

"What do you expect? I-"

"Oi! Get up, you two!"

"What a killjoy."

"What do you say, we continue this after breakfast?"

"Do I even need to say anything?"

* * *

**So I actually have midterms next week, so I might take that week off. I'll try to get back on replying to reviews too! I think I might write an extra to this too, and I know I said the same thing about the last chapter, but that may or may not happen. **

**Please review and leave suggestions! **


	7. Surname

**A/N: SURPRISE CHAPTER! So I know I said I had midterms last week, but my testing schedule is actually worse this week. This was one I've been meaning to write for awhile, but I never really got around to it. I wrote this one quickly, so there might be some mistakes. I may upload a revision in the future. This was actually only supposed to be around 500 words, but I got around to 1000. I'm happy about that. Think of this as an apology for breaks 'cause I still need a few more.**

**Also, sorry I haven't replied to any reviews. Life has been sorta stressful lately.**

** Enjoy!**

* * *

**Surname**

"Ace?"

"Yeah?"

"Where did you get the surname Portgas from?" Marco asked.

Ace and Marco were currently spending a peaceful afternoon together in the park, lying down together on the soft grass. The sun shined brightly overhead and there was a slight breeze. The whole atmosphere was rather relaxing.

Ace sat up and looked at him in confusion. The question was pretty random. He decided to answer anyways. "It's my mother's," he said. "I told you that when you took me to meet Pops. Didn't I?"

The blond rubbed the back of his head almost sheepishly. "I guess so, yoi." He had actually forgotten, but he didn't want to tell Ace that. He would look like a horrible boyfriend. "What is she like?"

Ace did not answer. It was then Marco realized that he shouldn't have asked. Ace didn't live with his parents. He lived with his grandfather and brothers. The question had been a moment of stupidity. They had been enjoying their afternoon in silence, but his eagerness to know Ace took over. "Sorry. You don't have to answer, yoi."

"No. It's fine," Ace replied. The look of discomfort did not remove itself from Ace's face. Marco reached over to take his hand, rubbing the back of it with his thumb. "I heard from my grandfather that she was stubborn."

"I see where you get it from."

Ace smiled briefly at his little quip. "You think you're so funny. Don't you?

Instead of replying with words, Marco sat up and pulled Ace into his lap. He laughed, significantly in a better mood than earlier. "Continue."

Ace quieted when he complied too the request. "Well she was also caring, I guess. I mean, she died giving birth to me…"

_Oh._ That's why Ace was so reluctant to speak about it.

"I'm sorry, Ace. I shouldn't have asked," Marco apologized, loosening his grip in case Ace needed some room.

The teen shook his head. "I told you it was fine, Marco," he insisted. "I never knew her, so it's less painful, but honor her by using her name." He turned a bit and smiled up at him. "I know that you don't want to hurt me, Marco. That's sweet and all, but I don't mind that you want to get to know me." He spun around completely, pushing Marco back down onto the grass. He laid his head on Marco's chest and closed his eyes, humming in contentment. It seems that he wasn't truly upset at all. "What about you?" he asked.

"Hm?" Now was Marco's turn to be confused. He wasn't expecting Ace to ask him anything back.

"I still need to get to know you too. Where does _your_ surname come from? You don't use Pops's surname."

Marco felt his cheeks heat up. Of course that's what he was asking. Marco had just asked the same question, so why wouldn't Ace want to know his answer?

Ace leaned in close, touching their noses together. "Are you blushing?"

"I have no idea what you're talking about."

"C'mon, Marco! Answer!"

Marco sighed. He just couldn't say no, but his answer was kind of embarrassing.

"Birds," he whispered quickly.

He knew Ace had heard him because the corners of his mouth were twitching upwards. Still, Ace wanted to hear the answer again and audibly. "What was that?"

Damn it. Ace could be so smug. "I like birds, yoi," Marco replied, speaking clearly this time.

Ace giggled. Marco scowled. "Yeah, yeah. Laugh all you want, yoi," he grumbled.

"Sorry, Marco! It just sounds so silly!"

"And it wasn't supposed to. You didn't let me finish."

Ace suppressed his giggles immediately, one or two more escaping his lips. "Okay. But what can you even say about _birds_?"

"Birds are the quintessence of freedom, Ace."

_Oh._ Now it was Ace's turn to have a 'well duh' moment. He should have known. They both cherished their freedom dearly.

"Sorry. I guess that was kinda obvious."

"Well, you wanted to know."

"I get what you mean, though," Ace said. He smiled. "Birds have wings, so they can fly anywhere they want!" He rolled off of Marco and back onto the grass. Reaching up and pointing at the sky he continued. "The sky is beautiful and they get to see it every day. I bet you wonder what it looks like to birds. Don't ya?"

Marco snorted. "I can always get in a plane."

Ace frowned, staring back at him intently. He lowered his hand. "You're too serious."

"Well, I guess that it isn't the same," Marco admitted. "And you're right. I _do _want to know what it feels like, yoi."

"See?" Ace grinned. "So why a phoenix?"

"I guess it really is Q&A time, yoi."

"Marco…"

Marco rested his head in the grass and closed his eyes visualizing the avian form he admired so much. "I read about them in a book once." He breathed in the fresh air through his nose. Remembering the book made him feel light inside. "It was the first book Pops gave me when he adopted me."

Ace was a bit shocked, but he continued listening intently. He wanted to know about Marco. He could be patient for him.

"It was a picture book of mythological creatures," Marco smiled. "The phoenix was my favorite one. I liked how it looked better than the others. The blues and yellows were really bright. It looked beautiful, a symbol of life and freedom. Something just felt _right_ about it. Pops didn't protest when I told him that I wanted that to be my name, so he filed the paperwork and that was that."

"Awww… I can imagine a little Marco looking through a picture book!" Ace piped, giggling once again.

"Ace…"

"What? I like to think you were cute as a kid! Do you want me to think you were ugly?"

"Well, no, but I'm sure your brothers would give me your baby pictures if I asked~"

Ace blushed. "M-Marco!"

"Shut you up _real_ quick."

Ace stuck his tongue out at him childishly, only for Marco to nip back at him with his lips. They laughed into the kiss, snuggling up next to each other when they broke apart.

"Hey, Marco?"

"Yes?"

"I like our talks."

"Me too, Ace."

* * *

Bonus:

"Wait a minute…"

"What?"

"Is this why all your siblings give you bird nicknames?"

"Ace…"

"I knew it! Birdy Boy! Birdy Boy!"

"Shut up, yoi."

* * *

**So I'm still going to take breaks to write and edit more oneshots and to work on my story for onepiecebigbang. I hope you liked this! It was intended to just be fluff.**

**Please review!**


	8. Surprise Visit

**A/N: So this was actually supposed to go up on Sunday, but I was out all day. I have school off today, so I'm trying my best to work on writing. **

**Enjoy!**

* * *

Ace bounced on the heels of his sneakers excitedly. Towering in front of him was a glass building: the glass building that contained Marco's studio.

The teen had been planning this visit for _at least_ a week. He hoped that Marco would be surprised. He slipped a hand into his shorts' pocket and checked for the visitor's pass that he had borrowed (stole) from Haruta. He smiled and took a deep breath, readying himself to enter the building. _'Alright, Ace! You're ready now!' _He placed his hand on the glass door and pushed it open.

The lobby was spacious and quite possibly one of the most expensive rooms Ace had ever seen. Unique statues and colored glass ornaments decorated the area and leather couches were everywhere. Sunlight shone in through the perfectly cleaned windows and a chandelier glittered high above. He swallowed nervously. _'It would be bad if I broke anything,'_ Ace thought. _'Of course Marco works in such a nice building.' _He could not help feeling at least a bit out of place. He was dressed so plainly, but the atrium was so nice-looking. _'I doubt _everyone_ here dresses like a million bucks,'_ he reassured himself.

Pushing down his uncharacteristic nervousness, he approached a rather bored-looking receptionist. "Hi!" the teen exclaimed, pulling the pass out of his pocket. "You mind?"

The receptionist raised an eyebrow and sighed, but pushed her glasses up to examine the pass nonetheless. She didn't say a word to Ace as she pushed a button on a phone and grunted, "This guy's comin' up." She gestured towards the elevators. "Floor number's on the pass."

"Thank you!" Ace smiled, though it didn't seem to help her mood at all. He walked away, leaving her to tap her fingers on her desk in boredom. He jabbed the elevator button, eager to see his boyfriend in action. Hearing the sound of a ding, he sprinted over to the available elevator before the doors even slid open.

"Floor 15," he whispered to himself as he stepped in and pushed the button. The elevator itself was pretty nice too. There was a mirror on the ceiling that perfectly reflected the space from above. The walls were cushioned in red and the floor was adorned with a clean, snow-white carpet.

Just as the doors began to close, someone called out, "Excuse me!" A woman slipped through the sliding doors at the last second, panting and out of breath. Her hair was tied in a disheveled ponytail and the binder in her arms was a mess, a few papers falling out here and there.

"Er- Hello," Ace greeted, still caught off guard by her sudden presence.

She didn't seem to notice him. She was busy muttering to herself, "What am I going to do? Just my luck that he's sick."

"Is something wrong?" The freckled teen asked, thinking it polite to make conversation.

The woman threw her arms into the air, making Ace jump back. "Everything's wrong!" she yelled. "The shoot is today, one of my models is missing, and _you_!" She turned to him and pointed her finger, but suddenly her expression froze. "_You_!"

"M'am?" Ace questioned apprehensively. The woman's staring was getting to be rather uncomfortable. Then she began poking and prodding at his biceps, continuing a silent examination. Ace was not really sure what to do. He was kind of creeped out, but it's not like he was about to yell at her or attack her.

"Hmmm..."

"Uh... Yes?"

"You're _perfect_!"

"Ehhh?!"

* * *

Marco sighed, lounging back in his chair. The director had left on a call fifteen minutes ago and still hadn't returned. On top of that, one of the models was missing, further delaying the shoot. He loosened his tie. It didn't seem as if the shoot was going to start soon anyways. He considered texting Ace, but he had already turned his phone off. Interruptions during work were unneeded.

The waiting was boring him. Resting his head in his hand, he closed his eyes. He hadn't even realized that he was falling asleep until he heard the shrill voice of the director call, "I need makeup! I need wardrobe! Hurry people! We have a shoot to do!"

Marco opened his eyes. _'I guess we're finally getting started.'_ He straightened his jacket and adjusted his tie, standing up from his chair.

"Oh, he's _so_ handsome!" one of the makeup artists cooed from afar.

"I know!" chimed one of the wardrobe workers. "Just look at those muscles!"

This confused Marco. _'What are they getting so worked up about? It's not like it's anything they haven't seen before.'_ Deciding to ignore the issue, he rolled his eyes at the staff's antics and headed to his place.

He was only standing in front of the backdrop when the director approached him. "Hey, superstar!"

"Director. You know I don't like that ridiculous nickname."

"Whatevs," she replied with a shrug. "Hey listen. I need you to show this guy the ropes. Can ya' do that for me?"

The blond raised an eyebrow. "And why would I have to do that?"

"E-excuse me, m'am," an extremely familiar voice stammered, still trying to sound polite. Marco knew that voice. He knew it very well. "I'm- er- not really here to-"

Marco gasped, interrupting him. "Ace?!" He couldn't believe that the freckled teen was standing in front of him _definitely_ wearing some of the clothes that were to be featured in the spread. He then realized that those girls were talking about Ace: _his_ Ace. They had stripped him naked to change his clothes and touched- _caressed-_ his face to apply makeup. The thought made Marco's head boil.

"Marco! This isn't- I mean-"

"Oh, good. So you know each other!" The director patted them both on the back. "Well then, Phoenix, I'll leave you to it!" She waltzed towards the photographers, giving orders as she went.

"What are you doing here?" Marco asked. He lay a hand on Ace's shoulder gently, trying to resist the urge to find wardrobe and makeup to rip their heads off. He had to be cautious of where he touched him, for they were not public with their relationship.

"I swear that I only came to visit you!" Ace whispered, making Marco's cheeks flush. It was flattering that Ace would think to visit him. The teen was just acting way too adorable (though Marco thought this a lot of the time anyways), and the vest and tie he was wearing only complimented the trait. "That lady said she was missing a model and then, she looked at me and then-"

"Just slow down, yoi."

The teen took a deep breath. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be. I'm just surprised, yoi. That's all. Besides," the blond smiled, "we can go to dinner after this is all over. Would you like that?"

Ace nodded and grinned. "Uh-huh!"

"Places, people!"

The teen turned to his boyfriend with an anxious look. "Marco, I don't really..."

The blond gave him a reassuring smile. "Just follow my lead," he whispered comfortingly. Marco did not take Ace's hand (it would've appeared suspicious), but Ace followed anyways. He didn't need Marco to pull him around like a little dog, though he still felt a bit lost. On the other hand, he didn't want to ruin Marco's day by being a horrible model, so the only thing he could do was his best. Right?

Placing his hands on the teen's shoulders, Marco positioned Ace in front of the backdrop. It was merely a green screen, but there were several different props set down like chairs and sofas. Marco was glad that they had normal props today. He felt that ace would be more nervous if there was something like a car in here. "Okay, Ace," Marco started. "I'm not certain what ways she wants you to pose, but just try to listen to her instructions. I'll come and help you if you need it. "

Now filled with determination, Ace nodded. "Got it! Anything else I should know?"

Marco almost took a step back. The complete one eighty in attitude from the teen's earlier confusion had caught him off guard. He couldn't resist smiling. _'That's the Ace I know.' _Remembering Ace's question, he answered, "Yes. Try to look serious. Smiling isn't very common when posing. Supposedly, it makes us appear sexier."

"S-sexier?" the freckled teen stuttered, but his curiosity _was_ piqued. He hadn't realized it, but since Marco was a model, his smile wasn't something seen by the public very often. It was no wonder why Ace melted inside every time the blond smiled at him. He quickly composed himself with a short shake of the head, hoping that Marco hadn't heard him. "Alright!"

Then the director's voice rang out, interrupting their conversation. "Places, people!"

They took a few group shots first. Following Marco's advice, he decided to keep a rather serious expression on his face. The director seemed rather impressed, but he didn't understand why. The other models were pretty nice also. They helped him out a lot, but Ace could have sworn that Marco was glaring at them when they did.

Afterward, they were pulled away for individual shots. Marco was up first. No one complained. They assumed it was to help set an example for Ace. Ace sat back in a plastic chair the crew had pulled up and prepared his self to take mental notes.

Unfortunately, Marco's posing was too distracting.

When he had referenced the sex appeal earlier, he wasn't kidding. Maybe finally seeing Marco in action was too much for Ace. He couldn't help trailing his eyes over the teasingly clothed muscles that belonged to his older lover. Every subtle movement gave Ace more reason to stare, and the fierce look in the blond's eyes only encouraged him. Looking closely, he saw Marco's lips upturn slightly into a smirk. Ace almost cursed the man. Marco knew exactly what he was doing to him, purposely making his self appear more and more enticing. Ace gulped, praying that spark of arousal would soon fade.

"Something wrong, Ace?" While the teen was lost in thought, Marco had finished up. He had approached him, smirk wider than ever.

The teen stayed silent, still speechless from watching his lover. Looking around warily, the blond took a step closer and reached out to run his fingers through Ace's hair. Ace shivered with anticipation, leaning towards the man's hand. Marco moved closer and craned his head downward-

"Alright, Ace!"

The two jumped back. The director had approached them suddenly, but fortunately she hadn't seemed to notice their touches.

"Marco, stay on the sides just in case you want to give him pointers. Okay? You're up, Freckles!" The director seized Ace's arm, much to his surprise, and dragged him onto the set. She stepped back and examined him for a moment. Ace supposed that she was deciding what she wanted him to do.

The director clapped loudly and squealed in excitement. "Yes!" She pushed him back a feet so that his rear was touching the armrest of a plush chair. "Okay," she said. "Lean back and stick out your legs at... this angle." Ace complied with her instructions. He actually felt pretty relaxed and comfortable. "And now." She lead his arms upward to that his hands were tangled in his own raven locks. "Perfect."

The word was like a trigger. Immediately after hearing it, the photographer approached and began snapping pictures with loud clicks and bright flashes. Ace had to put a serious expression on quickly. Though his position was comfortable, he actually felt a little self conscious. He realized that Marco was watching his every move just as he had done to him earlier. He tried not to shiver once more under Marco's gaze, which he saw out of the corner of his eye. Ace could have _sworn_ that Marco had licked his lips. He almost thought that Marco was going to jump his right then and there. He wouldn't have minded, despite their surroundings.

On the other hand, he wanted Marco to feel the same way he had earlier. He could at least try. Right?

Marco watched intently as Ace's muscles flexed under the fabric. That body belonged to him. Ace didn't know how flustered he looked under the lens of the camera. It was _sexy._ Marco couldn't help running his tongue over his own lips at the sight of Ace's tousled hair. He couldn't wait to kiss him as soon as they were done.

Suddenly, Ace parted his lips, tipping his head back and releasing a tiny moan. Marco cursed. Ace was trying to seduce him, just like he had done to him earlier. It wouldn't do to jump him right then and there, so he gripped his seat, hoping his forming erection was not too obvious. And then, a squeal- no- _several_ squeals. Makeup and wardrobe were absolutely freaking out and the director herself was jumping in joy. Marco wanted to snatch Ace up and take him away. He forgot that the others were looking upon Ace. _His _Ace. Distracted by his thought, he hadn't noticed that Ace had also finished. He was approaching him, smirking and swaying his hips teasingly.

"Something wrong, Marco~?"

Marco made sure to deliver a firm pinch to Ace's ass.

* * *

Ace was very much relieved when he was finally in his own clothes. Though he felt out of place when he first entered the building, His t-shirt and shorts were much more comfortable than anything they made him wear. Smiling in his comfort, he turned around to go find Marco, but he was interrupted.

"Hi there!" one of the makeup artists greeted cheerily.

"Hello," he shot back, not really sure what else to say.

"You were really, _really_ cool today!" she cheered. "You're a natural!"

"Thanks, I guess." In reality, there was no way he would have been able to do that without Marco.

"So," she started, taking a step closer. "If you're not busy later..."

"Ace," Marco interrupted suddenly. Neither of the makeup artist nor Ace heard him approach, but the teen could have sworn that he was growling. "Let's go."

He nodded back at the blond and walked away with him, not even giving the woman a second glance.

"So where do you want to eat, yoi?"

"Buffet."

"Figures."

They were about to enter the elevator and leave when the director stopped them. She smiled at Ace cheerily. "Well, Ace. You did a great job today! If you ever want to do this again," she pulled out a business card with a wink, "just give us a call!"

He took it apprehensively, but before he could say another word, Marco pulled him into the elevator hastily. The blond jabbed a few buttons and the doors slid closed immediately. "You're not doing this again," he informed the teen bluntly.

"Eh? I mean it wasn't the best thing in the world, but why are _you_ telling _me_ that?"

He moved Ace in front of him and looked straight into his eyes. "Because _I'm_ the only one that can look at you like that."

Ace felt himself blush. "You're so embarrassing!" he cried. He moved forward, wrapping his arms around the man's torso. "But I still love you."

The blond replied by kissing the top of his head. "I love you too."

"Who would've thought that Marco Phoenix could get jealous?"

"Shut up, yoi."

* * *

**Please review!**

**I may or may not have really evil one planned.**

**QUESTION: I wrote one that is seriously just meaningless smut because I was bored. It really doesn't have any story, but it is connected to this. Do any of you want to see it?**


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